Please Don't Stop
by Firewifesara
Summary: "Finn and Rachel knew that the decisions they had made that day weren't easy; life changing decisions rarely were. All you can do is make peace with them and move forward." Based on "Red Rag Top" by Tim McGraw. AU Finchel, Rated M for theme and some smut.
1. Loving Me

**A/N- Oh boy. I'm not going to lie, I've been sitting on the idea of this story for a while. I've been scared of how people might react to some of the things that will be taking place, but decided (with an insane amount of encouragement) to go ahead anyway. This story is rated M for a reason, the first being the smut in this chapter. I haven't really written smut before, so please keep that in mind. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy this story. As always, thank you to Erica and RedAmbition for the support, which was a LOT for this one. A lot!**

**Disclaimer- Story and title are from Tim McGraw's "Red Rag Top." I do not own Glee, it's characters, or any of the music or lyrics used.**

* * *

Fall-

Finn Hudson strolled along aisle seventeen, picking up his favorite cereal before going to the next aisle to grab some chips. He loved college. He was able to buy all his favorite foods and as long as he had his name written on it, nobody would touch it. He could stay out as long as he wanted and there was nobody to tell him not to. His life was his own and now that he was almost finished with his degree, he was on top of the collegiate food chain. Finn knew exactly how to navigate his school work, his extra-curricular activities and his job, while making sure he still had time to do the things he wanted to do.

He rounded the corner, entering the next aisle just as he was mentally finalizing his dinner for the evening and stopped dead in his tracks. There, in aisle fourteen, was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen reaching for something on the top shelf, her petite frame keeping it just out of her reach.

Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a low pony tail that cascaded down her spine, stopping just above the belt that was wrapped around her hips. Finn appreciated the way the grey Ohio State University shirt hugged her curves and the way her lips pursed as she reached again. She was beautiful.

Finn steadied his breath and moved to stand next to the petite girl. "Hey. You look like you could use a little help."

"Oh, yes. Thank you. I don't know why everything I want is always on the top…" Rachel turned to the helpful stranger so she could thank him properly, but her thoughts were wiped clean when she saw his beautiful face. He was tall, much taller than her, he had broad shoulders and deep brown eyes she could feel herself getting lost in. She finished the last word almost in a whisper as she let out a breath. "…shelf."

He knew she was gorgeous before, but now, looking in her sparkling brown eyes, he was taken by her beauty. He was thankful he saw her first so that he could prepare himself for talking to her. "That's how things go I guess." He reached up to where she had been reaching and wrapped his hand around the bottle of salad dressing. "This one?" He asked, looking down to see her watching him.

"Huh?" She heard him. She did. For some reason, the way his arms flexed as he reached out distracted her brain and although she heard him, she did not necessarily understand him. She looked to his hand and saw it holding onto the vinaigrette she had been reaching for and realized what he was asking. "Oh yeah. That one."

He brought the bottle down and handed it to her, her small, soft hands brushing against his softly as she took it from him. "So you go to OSU?"

"I do. How did you know?" He pointed at her shirt and she looked down and blushed. It was clearly marked with the logo of the school in big bold letters. "Oh." She giggled and hoisted the small basket onto her arm a little farther. "I'm a junior, majoring in theater. Someday my name will be written in the bright lights of Broadway."

Finn raised an eyebrow at her. It did not appear that the girl was kidding and he admired her determination. "Oh yeah? What is it? So I know what to look for."

"Broadway is a famous-"

Finn chuckled as the girl prepared into what he assumed was a well-used definition of Broadway. "I know what Broadway is. What's your name?"

"Oh. Sorry. You'd be surprised how many people don't know what that is." She laughed and held out her hand for him. "Rachel Berry, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Finn took her hand and shook it delicately, relishing the feeling of her hand in his. "Finn. Finn Hudson."

"Well Finn Hudson, besides helping vertically challenged women, what else do you do?" She released his hand, reluctantly, and they began to walk throughout the store.

"Uh, I'm a senior at OSU. I'm on the football team, I play the drums, and I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich."

She raised her eyebrows at him, unable to resist teasing him just a little. "Impressive."

"Hey, it is a handy skill to have in college." Finn walked beside her and noticed her arm reddening where she had the basket resting on it. He shifted his own basket to the other hand and reached out and took the handle of hers, unthreading it from her arm.

"I imagine it would be." She smiled at his act of kindness, the second in the in the ten minutes that she's know him. "Thank you. You're very chivalrous, it's refreshing to see."

It was Finn's turn to blush as they turned the corner and got into a relatively short checkout line. "That sounded like a compliment, so you're very welcome." She nodded and he placed both of their baskets on the belt, his lips curved into a handsome half smile. "It turns out, I'm having grilled cheese for dinner. Would you like to maybe come over and join me?"

"I only met you fifteen minutes ago." She noticed his smile falter slightly and quickly continued. "I'm going to throw caution to the wind. Grilled cheese sounds wonderful."

"Awesome."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Winter-

Rachel was beyond excited. Tonight she would be attending her first formal dance. Even better that she would be on the arm of Finn Hudson. She looked at herself in the mirror and gently smoothed out the soft curls framing her face and checked her makeup one last time. The doorbell rang, causing Rachel to jump slightly. It wasn't as if she wasn't expecting the doorbell to ring. She shook her head at her own foolishness and moved to answer the door. She squared her shoulders and pulled open the door to reveal a very handsome, tuxedo clad Finn.

"Wow, Rach. Just, Wow." He leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. "You look amazing." When Finn had first heard that the theater department was going to be hosting a winter formal, he was a bit apprehensive. He really hated wearing tuxedos and dancing. But when Rachel had said that she had never been to one before, he pushed aside his distaste of formal wear and asked her to go with him as his date. Standing in her doorway, he was glad he did. Her hair was swept back in a loose bun with a few curls framing her face. Her strapless pink dress sparkled at the top and flowed lightly to the floor, softening in color and sparkle as it did. It fit her perfectly and she looked beautiful in it.

"Thank you handsome."

Finn held out a small box, it's clear color showing off the pink lily resting inside. "I brought you this" He carefully pulled at the box, trying a couple different methods before it popped open so he could remove the flower and place it on her wrist.

"It's beautiful." She held it up and admired it before she kissed him once again. "Thank you."

He held out his elbow and she threaded her arm through his. "Shall we?" Rachel nodded and after she grabbed her purse and jacket they made their way to the main campus. Finn drove to the theater where the dance was being held and helper her out of the car. Instead of leading her towards the door where that dance was just getting started, he veered left and took her down a dark, empty hallway.

"Finn? Where are we? The dance is in the theater."

He looked at her, his lip quirking into a small smile. "I know." They walked a few minutes longer, making a few more turns before Finn stopped in front of a closed door and pulled out a key. "We are here now."

"Where?" She watched him unlock the door to the unknown room and walk inside.

"Come on." He held out his hand, which she took, and pulled her inside, revealing a table that was set for two. While she walked in further and took in her surroundings. Finn had taken a small office and transformed it into a private dining room. The desk chairs were pushed to the side, as was the desk, and a small table was placed In the middle of the open space. There were white lights strung up all over and a simple lily, like her corsage, was placed in the middle of the table.

She stood a few feet inside the room, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall while Finn took the opportunity to close and lock the door behind them. "Finn. It's beautiful." Her voice was barely a whisper, but in the nearly silent room, Finn heard her clearly.

"Do you like it?" He gently took her hand and led her to the simply decorated table. He pulled a chair out for her, allowing her to take her seat, and he pressed play on an iPod dock on the nearby book shelf. The space was filled with the soft sounds of Finn's favorite classic rock playlist. "I wanted to do something special for you." She watched as he dished out some obviously pre-ordered take out containers from one of their favorite restaurants to the plates in front of them

"It is. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you."

Finn took his seat across from her and gently took her hand, stretching himself so that he could kiss the back of her hand softly. "You're just you. That's all you'll ever have to do."

The settled in their seats and ate, engaging in small talk between bites. Finn had long since finished his and Rachel was down to her last couple bites.

"Do you want to dance?"

Rachel dropped her fork and looked around the relatively small office in disbelief. "Right here?"

A Journey song filled the space and Finn stood, holding his hand out to her. "What can I say; I want you all to myself."

"You have me, Finn." She stood and he tugged lightly on her hand, bringing her to where she was pressed against him, softly swaying as the song played on. He brought their entwined hands to his chest and wrapped the other around her waist while her free hand snaked around his neck. Her eyes closed as she pressed her cheek to his and they swayed in the middle of the room. The song faded out giving way to the next one and Rachel leaned her head back to look at Finn. "How did you even do this? I didn't think anybody was allowed in here."

Still holding onto Rachel, Finn shrugged. "Mr. Reynolds is pretty cool; I had him for a class last semester. He let me borrow the keys." He leaned in closer, pressing his forehead to hers. "He kinda likes me, I guess."

"Well, I'd say he has pretty good taste." She giggled and kissed him lightly. "I kinda like you too."

His grip tightened on both her hand and her waist as he pressed himself closer to her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Have you ever made out on a teacher's desk before?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at the desk that had been pushed aside.

A wide smile formed and he looked at the desk. "I can't say that I have."

After a hefty make out session on Mr. Reynolds' desk, Rachel straightened her hair and did a quick touch up on her make up before they made it to the dance. They met up with some of Rachel's theater friends and some of Finn's football friends, keeping equal time with their friends and dancing often. Soon enough, the night had come to a close and Finn was standing at in the same doorway where he had picked up Rachel earlier in the night.

Their hands were joined as Rachel leaned against the door to her apartment. She leaned up, kissing his lips, lingering them there suggestively. "Thanks for everything tonight. It was all amazing; the dinner, the dancing, the kissing."

"I really liked that part."

"Me too." She kissed him again, lingering once again at his lips. "Thank you for making this night special for me. The effort you put into making it so memorable is something I'll never forget."

"Anything for you, Rach." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. He really wanted to stay, as he had many times before, he wanted this night to be special for Rachel. "Call you tomorrow?"

She raised her eyebrows in question and pulled at his hands. "Aren't you going to come in?"

"What?" He really wanted to stay, it's not like he never had. He wanted to leave this decision up to her. Sure, he was hoping she would invite him to stay but he wanted her first formal experience to be special, something she could look back on with nothing but happiness many years from now. She let go of his hand and carefully untucked his tie from his vest, toying with it in her delicate hand.

"Isn't this what typically happens after a formal dance?" She pulled on the tie bringing his face closer to hers, close enough to where they could feel the others breath on their lips. Her other hand took hold of his belt and pulled him closer.

It took all that Finn had to respond to her. "It isn't really a requirement, but I'm not gonna say no."

"I would hope not." Rachel kissed him again and turned her back to him, his tie was still in her grasp, stretching over her shoulder. His hands were instantly on her hips as he followed her into the apartment, prepared to make this her best night yet.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Spring-

"Looks like we just barely made it." Finn stopped his beat up Chevy truck alongside the lake and climbed out, pausing to assist Rachel out as well. He led her to the back of the truck and lowered the tailgate; Rachel rested her head on his shoulder while they held hands as the colors danced across the horizon.

They had just finished their finals for the spring semester, Finn was set to graduate next week and Rachel was about to start her senior year. Finn was offered a management position at the music store where he had worked the last year or so and Rachel was going to continue waitressing over the summer. Even though they technically had another week of classes, this was their unofficial summer kick off.

When the sun disappeared below the horizon completely, Finn removed the many blankets he had stowed and spread them all out in the bed of his truck. The couple climbed in and lay next to each other in the bed of Finn's truck, holding hands and staring up at the stars. After a few moments Rachel let out a contented sigh.

"I love coming out here. It's so peaceful."

Finn squeezed Rachel's hand and smiled up at the sky. "Me too. It's hard to see all the stars in the city."

"It's nice to get away. Finals week is awful." Rachel couldn't be more thrilled to get out of the city. The hour drive they took to get out here was already proving to be worth it. The area around the lake was largely unoccupied, leaving them alone under the night sky.

"It is. I'm so glad it's over."

"You're all done." Rachel mused.

Finn chuckled, "Yeah. Part of me is happy college is over, the other part of me is terrified of real life."

"I'm not worried; you're going to do great Finn."

Finn let go of her hand and turned on his side, propping his head on his hand so he could face Rachel. She turned as well and took his free hand in hers. Finn rubbed his thumb across her knuckles as he spoke, his own insecurities keeping him from making eye contact with her. "Easy for you to say. You know exactly what you want to do with your life after you graduate. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do with this degree yet. I mean, yeah, I'm now a manager, but what if they hate me? What if I suck at it? What if I wasted the last four years?"

Rachel tilted her head so that Finn would catch her eye. When he did, she smiled softly at him. "You know all the people you are going to be working with already. They loved you as a coworker and they will love you as their manager. You will most assuredly not suck at it and you definitely did not waste your time in college." He smiled and nodded at her and she scooted closer to him. "I believe in you."

He kissed her softly, parting his lips slightly. "Thanks babe. I needed to hear that." He said softly.

"Anytime."

She pressed her lips to his again, this time lingering a little longer. When she pulled back, Finn released her hand and rested it on her hip, squeezing it lightly. "You keep doing that and you are going to make me think I can fly."

"Oh yeah?" She scooted a little closer, pressing her center to his. "What if I do this?" Rachel slid her hand up the front of his shirt and kissed her way up his neck. She took his ear lobe between her lips and sucked lightly until she could feel him losing his own self-control.

"Rach."

She pulled back, nipping at his neck one more time before looking at him innocently. She batted her eyes at him as her fingers danced across the front of his jeans. "Yes Finn?"

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

She giggled, enjoying the husky tone of his voice. "I think I do."

He kissed her hungrily while he moved the arm he was resting on under her and rolled to his back, bringing her astride on top of him. He slid his hands down her back side, cupping her behind and pressing her core into his hardness as they continued to kiss. Rachel roamed her hands under his shirt, reveling in the feel of his bare chest. Finn's large hands traveled around her hips and began to travel up her sides, taking her shirt with it. When he reached her ribs, their mouths separated and Rachel's arms rose, allowing Finn to remove her shirt completely. Finn took the moment before she fused her mouth back to his to admire her position above him. She was beautiful.

She shifted, deliberately grinding her aching center over his hardness once again. She leaned down slightly, meeting him halfway as he sat up, allowing her to lift his shirt over his head before he reattached his lips to hers. Rachel's fingers played with the back of his hair while his hands sprawled across her back in an effort to pull her closer to him. After a few minutes, Finn turned, still holding onto Rachel tightly as he turned them so that Rachel was now on her back. Her knees stayed at his side while he hovered over her, his mouth now moving to her neck. She arched into him as he dragged his tongue across her collarbone then down the center of her chest. His hands held tightly to her sides as his mouth ghosted over the top of her lacy bra, something he knew from experience drove Rachel crazy. His lips continued their decent stopping next at her stomach. Finn kissed her just above her belly button and lowered his hands to the waistband of her shorts. He leaned back on his feet, while she lowered her knees and allowed him to remove her bottoms, leaving her in only her underwear.

She reached up and took hold of his belt loops, pulling him back to her. Her fingers remained locked in the belt loops as her mouth found its way back to his. Rachel could feel Finn's arousal at her center; she moved her right hand to cup him, causing him to growl slightly as he pressed himself further into her hand. Rachel smiled into their kiss, happy with the reaction she had received. Her hand then moved to the button of his jeans. With a specialized tug and twist, the button was undone and she lowered his zipper before immediately snaking her hand in the open jeans. Her middle finger lightly traced his hardened length over the material of his boxer briefs before she moved her hand back to the belt loop it held earlier. She nipped and sucked below his ear while her hands lowered his jeans as far as she could get them to go. Finn traced his tongue down Rachel's neck, pausing just above her collar bone to suck lightly.

"Finn. I think it's time you lose those pants."

Finn smiled into her neck and sucked once again, this time leaving a mark. Still holding his weight on his elbows, he shifted slightly so his hands could take hold of the strap of Rachel's bra. "Patience." He pulled the strap over her shoulder while his kisses followed its path. He did the same with the other side and Rachel raised her hips to meet Finn's. She pressed against him eagerly, his hardness only causing her to be more aroused. It was then that Finn leaned back and removed his jeans the rest of the way. He was pleased to see Rachel remove her panties and her bra while he took the time to get the condom from his pocket before he tossed the pants aside with the rest of their clothes.

Once Rachel had removed her remaining clothes and saw that Finn had done the same, she plucked the condom from his hands and wrapped her arm around his neck to bring him closer to her once again. She kissed him eagerly causing him to let out another growl as he pressed his bare chest to hers. While he held his weight over her with one hand, the other traveled to her core and his finger slipped between her folds, teasing her entrance as she ached to feel him inside her. Their mouths fused together with a renewed passion and Rachel brought her hands together behind his neck while he continued teasing her. She tore off the top of the wrapper and removed the rubber disk, dropping the package somewhere to the side of them. She held it between her fingers for a moment to before she rolled it over his length as he began to suckle her neck. She stroked him once before he drew back and lined up at her entrance. Rachel pulled her knees up as Finn pushed forward until he entered her completely. She whimpered slightly as he pulled back and pressed into her again.

Their bodies fused together in the moonlight, their moans filling the night sky while he pumped into her. Rachel's hands clutched at Finn's back as their rhythmic thrusting brought her closer and closer to the edge. Their well-rehearsed lovemaking soon brought them to their climax and they struggled to catch their breath. After a moment, he lifted himself into a hover over top of her while his eyes locked with hers and he kissed her lovingly. His hand moved to the side of her face and pushed away the damp hair that had stuck to her cheek. They were both panting and sweaty, but Finn could only see the way the moonlight illuminated her face. He rubbed his thumb along her cheek and kissed her again before rolling to the space beside her.

He disposed of the condom and put on his underwear while she pulled his t-shirt on. He settled back down next to her and she nestled herself in his side, draping her arm across his chest, as he looked back up to the stars. His fingers traced her upper arm lightly as he thought about the girl beside him. He took a deep breath and whispered into the night. "I love you, you know. I think I always have."

Rachel snuggled closer to him, her grip tightening on his torso. "I love you too." Rachel had known for a while that she loved Finn, she probably always would.

* * *

**A/N- And we are off! I hope you enjoy it so far. This story will have controversial elements to it and I understand that not all of you will agree with some of the things that are going to happen. That is perfectly alright, I just ask that you please be kind in your reviews and trust me that we will have a happy ending. I truly appreciate all the support. Much Love!**


	2. Sins

**A/N- Oh crap. This is scary. I know most of you will not agree with what happens here and I don't blame you. I ask again for your trust and hope that, even though you may not agree, you stick it out. I've tried to be respectful with the part of the story that may be controversial, but there is only so much I can do. Thank you for your support so far, it means a lot to me. Thank you to Erica for all the support and encouragement.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, its characters, or the music or music used. This story and title are from Tim McGraw's "Red Rag Top' -Just because I have written it, doesn't mean I agree with it. **

* * *

Summer-

Rachel paced at the foot of her bed thinking ahead to all the things she was hoping to achieve in her life. She was only a week away from her senior year of college where she was on track to be in the top five percent of her class. Next up was an off Broadway production where she will no doubt be discovered and move into the big leagues. Her first Tony award would be won shortly after that, followed by the at least two more before she was cast in a Woody Allen film. A film that would bring her in front of a new audience and fill her shelf with awards she doesn't even know about yet.

And then there was Finn. He didn't have a definitive plan yet, but she knew he wanted to be successful. He wanted success, but he wanted to be loved for it. He was just beginning a new job he loved with new responsibilities that he was handling with decorum. He wanted his employees to trust him, to count on him, to rely on him. They needed to know that he was there for him and that he was doing what was right for them as individuals and as a company. He wanted to be respected, but most of all, he wanted to earn that respect.

Rachel sat on her bed and rested her head in her hands as time seemed to tick by at an agonizing pace. She jumped when the timer on her phone began beeping, signaling an end to the torture of the unknown. Though only three minutes had passed, it seemed like an eternity as she shut off the timer and stood, wiping her sweaty palms on the front of her pants. She took small, tentative steps into her bathroom, stopping just inside the doorway.

Her hand shook as it reached for the plastic stick she had rested there not long ago. She clutched it in her fist tightly as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Deciding that it was time, she slowly lifted the stick into view and reluctantly opened her eyes and that was it. The pink plus sign glared back at her clear as day and Rachel stumbled backwards into the wall as the tears started to fall. Her legs wobbled under her and she slid down to the floor where she wrapped her arms around her knees, bringing them to her chest as the tears turned to sobs.

Rachel Berry was pregnant. All the things she had hoped to accomplish in the next few years were now gone. College, Broadway, Tony's, they all seemed to move out of her reach now. How was she to achieve them with a child?

And what about Finn? How would he handle the news? Would he blame her? Would he resent her? Would he still love her?

The life changing stick was still clutched in her tiny fist as she sat on the floor of the bathroom with her arms wrapped around herself as her body wracked itself with sobs. The crying must have taken its toll on Rachel, because she woke up an hour later to the sound of her cell phone ringing where she left it on her bed. She recognized the ringtone and moved to answer it, hoping to steady her voice as best she could.

"Hello?"

_"Hey baby."_

"Hi, Finn. How is work?"

_"It's awesome. I just found out that that for the last month I've been manager, profits were up ten percent."_

Rachel brought the back of her hand to her mouth as she tried to control the next round of crying she knew was coming. She knew he was going to be great at this job. Her pride in his abilities coupled with the fear of holding him back getting to her once again. "That's great Finn. I knew you could do it."

_"You okay, Rach? You sound like you're upset or something."_

Rachel smiled through her tears. "I'm fine, Finn. I'm just tired." She knew it was wrong to keep this from him. She also knew it was not right to tell him life changing news over the phone, especially while he was at work. She had to tell him, but it could not be right now.

_"Okay. I'll let you get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow?"_

"Of course." The concern in his voice was causing heart ache and she tried her best to sound like their lives weren't about to change forever. "I'm so proud of you. Have a good night at work."

_"I love you."_

"I love you, too." Rachel ended the call and tossed her phone to the side then curled herself into the fetal position on her bed. The tears began to flow once again as she considered the tough decisions ahead of her and Finn.

Her night was spent in a fitful slumber. She tossed and turned throughout the night, her thoughts running on overtime and denying her rest. When she finally gave up and got out of bed, it was late in the morning. She went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror to see that her eyes were red and puffy. As she washed her face, her thoughts drifted to Finn and she was dreading the conversation ahead. She had no idea how Finn would react to the news that she was pregnant. She knew him and knew he would be nothing but kind, but how would he really react to the news of her unplanned pregnancy?

She showered and ate before making her way over to Finn's. The test was resting in her purse as she stood on his door step trying to get the courage to knock. All she had to do was raise her hand up to the door and let it fall to the hard wood that separated them. Rachel knew, however, that once she did their lives were going to change forever. No matter what they decided to do.

Finn checked the clock one last time before he pressed the start button on the dishwasher and gathered the few remaining items for the garbage. He had received a text from Rachel saying she was getting ready to come over, but he felt like he had enough time to take the garbage out before she arrived.

After he talked to her last night, he knew that something was bothering her. He had no idea what and she said she was fine, but he knew her better than that; even over the phone. Something was bothering her and he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to be the person that she could rely on for support whenever she needed it.

Rachel took in one final deep breath and lifted her shaking hand to the door. Just as it was to connect, the door swung open revealing Finn.

"Hey baby." He immediately noticed that she had been crying and wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled her close to him. He knew better than to push her, so instead he just kissed her hair and held her tight. "Why don't you go on in? I'm just going to take this out." He pulled back and she nodded and he kissed her again and left her in the doorway of his apartment.

She made her way in and tried to fix her appearance, again. She promised herself that she was going to hold it together and be calm so she didn't scare Finn even more than she had to. She heard him enter the apartment and felt his warmth as the cushion dipped beside her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

His arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head fell to rest on the comforting shoulder he was offering. "Can we just sit here for a few minutes?" Rachel was here in the arms of the man she loved with news that was going to change their lives forever. If only she could gather the courage to tell him that news.

"Sure. Whatever you need." He pulled her closer and held her in the silent room for what felt like hours. As he held her, his mind concocted a list of all the things that could be upsetting her. School, work, her family, _him_; they were all possibilities and all of them scared him in different ways. He wanted her to feel better, he hoped he could help. Rachel began to shift beside him and he tried to mask the worry he was feeling. "Are you okay?"

Rachel saw the concern in his eyes and knew it was time. He needed to know. She sat up and reached for his hand as her eyes began to well up once again. "Finn…" He squeezed her hand in silent support and she wished she had the courage to look at him. "Finn. I- I- I've ruined everything." She began crying as she fell into his open arms. He began to rock her, shushing her and stroking her hair.

"Shhhh. Rach, please calm down. Whatever it is, it will be okay. We will work it out. I'm sure you didn't ruin anything." Finn hoped his honest reassurance would help Rachel to open up, instead though, it only caused her to cry harder. She cried for a few more minutes then sat up and took his hand once again. His heart rate sped up when she gave him a watery smile and blew out a ragged breath.

"I'm pregnant, Finn."

Finn felt the blood drain from his face. If he heard that correctly, his girlfriend just said that she was pregnant. Though he was still technically looking at her, his brain was not able to process what he was seeing. He remained silent as he processed the information.

Rachel's eyes began filling with fresh tears as she watched Finn's reaction. If she was being honest, it looked like he was about to pass out. His eyes were on her, but he clearly was not seeing her. She knew how he felt; she felt it last night when she saw the test. She watched as the glassy look in his eyes dissipated and he slowly came back to the present. A tear fell from her eye as he watched him search for an answer.

"But we used protection." Maybe that wasn't the most supportive thing he could have said, but that was all he could think of at that moment.

Rachel looked down at their entwined hands as more tears spilled from her eyes. "I know we did. Every time." She couldn't look at him. "I guess one of them didn't work."

"That's its job. Its job is to work." The statement sounded as if Finn was hysterical. He was. He was also shocked, stunned, and confused. A drop of wetness landed on his hand and he remembered that he couldn't be the only one impacted by this news. As much as it impacted him and his life, it impacted hers more. She hadn't even graduated college yet; how was she supposed to make it big on Broadway with a baby. Even with his help, this was going to impact her future even more than his. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her so that she was as close to him as possible. "I'm sorry. Whatever you need, Rach, I'm here for you. I'll be right next to you."

Rachel buried herself in the comfort of Finn's strong arms as she cried once again. She was happy he was there to hold her as she broke down for what seemed like the hundredth time since she found out. His warm embrace was bringing her a source of strength and comfort that she desperately needed.

"Finn?" She pulled back. "What are we going to do?"

He had no idea. "We'll figure it out."

Though they had planned to go out today, Finn and Rachel chose to stay in. Looking out the windows, the late summer sun had given way to a rain-filled evening as the couple rested on Finn's couch. They had watched a couple carefully selected movies and had prepared food that was already in Finn's apartment. Neither one of them brought up the proverbial elephant in the room, but as the rain poured down out of the darkening sky outside, Rachel knew they had to at least begin to think about what they were going to do.

"Finn?"

Finn turned to see Rachel coming out from the back of his apartment. Worry and sadness graced her features and he knew that this was the beginning of a very important conversation. After their initial conversation they had chosen not to talk about it for a while, instead just focusing on spending time together. Usually, a lazy afternoon like this would contain numerous rounds of love-making, but this time, things were different. Deep down Finn knew that they could not move forward until they had this conversation. "Yeah?" He reached his hand out to her and when she took it, he pulled her to the seat next to his.

"Have you given any thought to… you know?"

He kissed her hand lovingly and he tried to comfort her with a small smile. "I love you. You know that?" She nodded and he continued. "I will support whatever you decide. I will be there for you every step of the way if that's what you want. I need you to know that you are not alone. I won't let you be."

"I know that Finn. I love you too and thank you for not pushing me away today." She leaned forward and kissed his softly, a sad smile on her lips. "It means a lot to me that you respect me. But Finn, I can't do anything without your input. You are a part of this decision too. I can't allow you to resent me later. I can't"

Her eyes began to once again well up and he kissed her cheek. "Thank you." He pulled back and looked at her seriously. "Have you given any thought at what you want to do?"

"A little. It's hard not to." She said seriously while sending him a knowing look before she continued. "This impacts everything for my, for our future. Whatever we decide is it. There's no turning back from it."

"Are you thinking about…" He trailed off, hoping he could avoid actually uttering the word.

Rachel looked away from him, ashamed that she was considering it. She didn't want to, but under these circumstances, she didn't see another way. Even if they chose adoption, she wouldn't be able to graduate in the way she intended; she wouldn't be able to participate the way she needed to if she completed her senior year while pregnant. "I don't want to…"

Finn heard the 'but' at the end of her sentence, even if she didn't actually say it, and he saw the way she was fighting with herself. Even if she wasn't saying all of her thoughts out loud, he could tell that the options she was considering were taking a toll on her. He pulled her into another hug, offering comfort at a time when she needed it. He knew, because he needed it too. He ever thought he would be considering this as an option either. But that was yesterday, a day when he and his girlfriend weren't faced with a decision that would forever change their lives. "It's okay, Rach. We don't have to decide today." He pulled pack and held her shoulders tightly. "We don't need to decide today. How about we take a week or so and think about it? This is huge and we need to be sure."

"Okay. You're right. This is something we can't decide after 18 hours." She held onto him again, burying her face in his neck as she muttered a soft, "thank you" in his ear.

Both of them went to bed that night with the weight of their decision weighing heavy on their shoulders. Rachel considered school and the plans she had for her future. She thought about the things she believed in and what she knew to be wrong, along with what she believed wasn't. Her Jewish faith did not expressly limit her options, mostly leaving them to the mother, which left the decision up to her. She wished it was just a little easier. Her and Finn did things right, they used protection. They even read the directions, following them every time. They weren't planning to have a child. They weren't at that point in their life.

Finn considered the implications of what his day had brought. He loved Rachel and sure, he had thought about marrying her. Now though, it seemed as though he would be forced to. If they continued with the pregnancy, the decision would almost be taken from them. It felt as if he was going to be forced into a marriage, and even though it would be to a girl he loved, he dreaded that there could be resentment later on. Finn didn't want that. If he and Rachel ever decided to get married, he wanted it to be because it was something they both wanted to do and not something they felt obligated to do. Right now, he felt as if neither one of them were at that point in their lives.

Some decisions had more of an effect than others, and this was an important one. For both of them.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

The first time Finn met Rachel's dads, she was pregnant.

It had been eight days since Rachel had found out and she and Finn had spent the last seven trying to decide what they would do. They went back and forth trying to find better options than the one they always seemed to gravitate towards. They were looking for a better option, but so far had not been able to find one. Together, they had decided not to tell anyone about the pregnancy. They both knew that everybody had strong opinions on the matter and would try to influence a decision that was solely theirs.

As if the week had not already been emotionally trying, Finn was supposed to meet Rachel's dads for the first time tonight. Rachel wanted to put it off, but Finn had convinced her that it would be alright to go forward with it. They were only in town for a day trip and he didn't want them to think anything was wrong. They had been planning to have lunch together for a few months now and it would look bad to cancel now. Reluctantly, she agreed and they were now waiting at the upscale restaurant for them to arrive.

"That's them." Rachel whispered while she stood to greet her fathers. Finn stood behind her and adjusted his tie one last time. "Daddy, Papa, it's so great to see you." She pulled them each into a hug then stood beside Finn. "This is Finn. Finn these are my dads, Hiram and Leroy." She gestured to each of them in turn and smiled when Finn extended his hand to them.

"It's great to meet you Sirs. Rachel has said great things about you."

The men each took a turn shaking his hand before Leroy spoke. "You too, our princess sure has said such wonderful things about you." He gestured to the table and they took their seats around the table. "It's great to finally meet you."

"Rachel said that you are managing a music store?" Hiram added.

Finn gulped. Guess they were going right into the interrogation. "Yes sir." He stole a quick glance at Rachel and continued. "I manage a store downtown. It's been very rewarding."

"Finn has been doing very well. They have been very pleased with his work so far." Rachel placed her hand over Finn's and smiled at him. She was so proud of his accomplishments.

Leroy turned to give Finn hard look, one he imagined was used by most fathers when they meet the man their daughter is dating. "Is that right?"

Finn gulped, but breathed a sigh of relief when the waitress came to get their orders. His relief was temporary, however. As soon as she left the table they jumped back into it.

"Rachel is going to be famous, you know." Finn wasn't sure where Leroy was going with this, so he just nodded. "We are so proud of everything she has accomplished so far. Her schooling has proved to be an invaluable stop on the way to her inevitable success."

"Daddy." Rachel warned. She tightened her grip on Finn's hand. She expected some of the questions about what he was going to do with his life, they had prepared for that.

"What Princess? I'm just trying to decide if Finn will be a good fit for you in New York, if he will be good for your success?"

The older man took an innocent sip of his wine. This was typical behavior of her Papa, but with the secret being kept by Rachel and Finn, the questions were unknowingly hitting a nerve with the couple. Rachel knew he wasn't meaning to upset them, but his words had set off her thoughts. Her dreams of success had been a part of her for as long as she could remember. She had told anyone who would listen of her future plans of Broadway, including Finn. They never specifically talked about what would happen after she graduated, if they were still dating then, but she knew he would be there for her. She needed to let her fathers know that. "Finn knows what my plans are, Papa. He has been very supportive of me and the plans I have made for my future." Rachel and Finn knew that her words had a double meaning and it was at that moment she knew what to do. She turned to look at him and they shared a look of understanding.

"Rachel is going to get the success she has been working her whole life for. I will make sure of it. I won't be the reason that she doesn't get everything she has always wanted and deserved. I won't be the one standing in her way." Finn looked at the older men, then to Rachel. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles.

It was in that moment they both knew a decision had been made.

Rachel's eyes were still shining with unshed tears when the waitress set their food down in front of them a minute later. The four of them ate while they got to know each other and when their lunch was done, Hiram and Leroy were impressed with Finn. They had given him permission to continue dating their only daughter, as if they were even asking. The men had entrusted Rachel to him and he was going to make sure he did not disappoint them.

When Rachel and Finn were alone once again, she felt better having made a decision. It didn't mean she was happy about what was to come; it only meant that she was at peace with the decision. They left the restaurant hand in hand, walking down the sidewalk. It was Rachel who finally broke the silence between them. "So that's it? We've decided?"

Finn released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him as they walked. "It seems like it."

The young lovers knew that it was the only way.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Finn parked the truck and went to the passenger side where he opened the door and held out his hand to Rachel. When she took it, he helped her from the truck and then rested his hands on her waist. She looked at him and asked him one last time. "Are you sure?"

On a day when Rachel thought that she would wake up and be a mess, she was instead surprisingly calm. She knew the day would be a hard one and she knew Finn would be at her side all day. After they had decided what to do, they chose to go through the weekend to be sure. They had discussed it again, more than once, each of them knowing that there would be no turning back once the decision had been made. Every discussion, every conversation led them to the same conclusion.

"Rach, we talked about this. We researched the clinic and the procedure. I'm sure." He pulled her hips to his and looked into her eyes. "Are you?"

She nodded once and stood back, taking his hand in hers. As they get closer to the front door, there was a small group of people gathered outside. The homemade signs they had made were held in the air as they walked in a circle in front of the door. When they were close enough to read what the signs said, Finn looked cautiously at Rachel as she walked beside him. She looked up at him and smiled sadly before squaring her shoulders and grasping his hand a little tighter. They walked passed the group of protesters, ignoring the hateful things that were being said, and walked into the clinic with the determination they would need.

Finn and Rachel knew that the decisions they had made that day weren't easy. Life changing decisions rarely were. All you can do is make peace with them and move forward.

* * *

**A/N- Please don't kill me. I assure you that this was no easier to write than it was to read. If you choose to review ,(which I appreciate greatly and read every one) I ask that you be kind. Much love.**


	3. Distance

**A/N- Thank you so much for the kind words. I was REALLY worried how you would take that. I know it sucks, sometimes, life is a jerk- and it keeps being one. Thanks to Erica. who is awesome.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own glee, it's characters, or any of the music or lyrics used.**

* * *

Spring-

"Finn where are we going?" Rachel settled next to Finn on the bench seat of his truck and entwined her hand with his, before looking at him expectantly.

He squeezed her hand and then brought it to his lips before pulling away from her apartment. "If I told you, it will ruin the surprise." Finn had decided to take her out to celebrate her final semester of midterms. She only had a couple months left before she graduated and he remembered how stressful and exhilaration it had felt for him. He knew the how it felt to reach the point where the finish line was in view and your future was in sight. He also knew the fear that accompanied the excitement and he wanted to do something special for her; to show how much he cared.

Rachel took in the view from her seat beside Finn's as they traveled the streets of Columbus. She loved surprises and it meant a lot that Finn had gone through so much trouble to take her out. They were both dressed up, him in a tie, her in her favorite dress; he had even brought her flowers. Rachel could not have been happier to be out with him tonight.

She noticed the familiar OSU campus changing to the tall buildings that were downtown and wondered where they were headed. She didn't have to wonder long before Finn had parked the truck in a down town parking garage and was standing at her door with his hand extended to her.

"My lady."

Rachel giggled as she took the hand Finn was offering and climbed out of the truck, her hand never leaving his. He led them on a short walk where they stole fond glances at one another as they strolled along the sidewalk. The walk was short and soon they were standing in front of a small bistro.

Finn led her past the small tables adorned with colorful flowers that were set up on the patio and pulled open the door. "After you." Rachel smiled and walked past him into the modern restaurant. He placed his hand on the small of her back as he followed her to the hostess station where they requested a table. They didn't have to wait and were immediately led to a small table near the center of the restaurant. The hostess informed them that Amy would be their waitress, took their drink orders and left them at the table with their menus.

"Finn, where did you find this place?"

He reached across the table and took her hand and smiled. "My boss told me about it. He recommended that we try it."

"It is pretty amazing in here. Look at the bar." She pointed to the bar area, where a large branch was hanging from the ceiling. The lights in the room cast the shadow from the branch throughout the dining room that changed depending where you were sitting. The space was warm and intimate; Rachel liked it. She looked through the menu, as did Finn, and when the waitress arrived with their drinks they were ready to order.

"Your white wine, miss; and here is your beer, sir." She set the drinks down and took out her notepad. "I'm Amy and I'll be your waitress. Have you had enough time to look at our menu?"

Finn and Rachel shared a look then nodded at the waitress. Rachel looked up to her and smiled warmly. "I believe we have. I'm going to have the vegetarian seafood boil." Finn took her menu and placed it with his own before handing them to the waitress.

"I think I'm going to try the lobster mac and cheese."

She took the menus and folded her notepad. "Excellent choices. I'll go put these in, enjoy your drinks."

When she left Rachel leaned over the table and eyed Finn suspiciously. "Why are you trying to schmooze me?"

"What? Can't a guy take his girlfriend out just because?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled showing off his dimples. "You just finished your midterms. You are in the homestretch of your college career. You have been working extra hard and I thought you deserved a night out." He took a sip of his beer then gently placed the glass back on the table. "Besides, I love you and I can." Finn ignored the pang of hurt that came whenever her graduation was brought up. He knew that they would eventually talk about what would happen when she moved, but he didn't want to have that conversation tonight. Tonight is a fun date night.

For the year and a half that they had been dating, both of them knew that when she graduated, she was moving to New York. Both of them knew it was inevitable, but neither of them wanted to talk about it. They hadn't really discussed what would happen to them when she moved, usually brushing it off with a 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it' stance. It was effective early on, but now that it was coming up, a conversation was bound to happen.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Rachel was amazed by Finn every day. He treated her so well and they have already been through so much together. At times, she felt as if she didn't deserve him.

"Just being you I guess," Finn shrugged. "So how do you think your midterm went?"

Rachel sipped from her wine class. "Well, in spite of the fact that Ms. July clearly is out to get me, I think I did marvelous. So much so that there is no way she could fail me."

"Is she still picking on you? You really should complain to the dean."

She squared her shoulders and looked at Finn intently. "That won't be necessary. I plan to give her the Rachel Berry treatment."

"Work extra hard until she is forced to admit that you're good?" Finn lifted his glass to hers when he saw her smile at his likely accurate plan summary. She lifted her glass to his and their classes clinked together before they each took a sip.

"Exactly. Now, can we focus on you for a minute? How did the meeting go with your boss today?"

Finn smiled when he remembered how great the meeting had gone earlier in the day. "It went really well. They are really happy with the way I've been managing the store. It's possible that I might even get my own store someday."

"Finn! That's amazing; I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too. New York won't know what hit it." As the words left Finn's mouth, he instantly regretted them. They had been doing so well at avoiding the inevitable move that might separate them. He sipped from his drink as Rachel did the same.

Thankfully the awkward silence was broken by the waitress with their food. Amy placed the food on the table between them and left them to enjoy their meal.

Rachel reached across the table and took Finn's hand. "Let's not worry about it tonight. Please? We are having a wonderful meal, it looks delicious, and we still have months to figure it all out."

Finn smiled and leaned over the table to place a light kiss on Rachel's lips. "We'll figure it out." He sat back in his seat and picked up his fork. "I'm starving."

The awkwardness soon dissipated and the couple went back to normal conversation as they ate their meals. The food lived up to the hype forcing them to try a dessert; it was, of course, every bit as decadent as they anticipated. When they finished their meal, they reversed their path out of the restaurant. It didn't take long before they were passing the parking area where Finn's truck was. Rachel wore a look of confusion and looked to Finn for answers.

"Where are we going? Isn't that where we parked?"

"It is." He answered simply.

She looked over at the entrance and they continued down the block. When they reached the corner, they turned and Finn watched Rachel carefully for the moment she realized where they were headed.

She paid close attention to her surrounding as they turned down the new street, street that seemed familiar but she was unable to recognize it. Ahead, she could see a good group of people gathering under a bright red sign at the middle of the block. Since it was getting dark, she wasn't sure of where she was as they continued on, getting closer to the crowd of people ahead. When the red lights of the sign were close enough for her to make out, she stopped and wrapped an arm around Finn's neck, bringing him down for an appreciative kiss.

"So I guess you figured it out then?" Finn smirked at her as she backed away slightly.

"I love you." She looked once again at the red glowing lights of the Ohio Theatre, the marquee indicating that they were playing Disney's The Lion King. She knew that the theatre put on plays this time of year and though she always wanted to attend the theater but with school she had never found time. OSU put on excellent productions, but the historic Ohio was a must see. The theatre was built in 1928, but still had fantastic acoustics and a state of the art facility. For a theater girl in Ohio, this was the perfect place in the action.

Finn had already purchased the tickets, so now it was just a matter of getting through the door and finding their seats. They joined the line that would eventually lead them inside the theater and waited to enter the theater. The line moved slowly and the closer they got, the antsier Rachel seemed to get. She danced in her place, moving forward as the line did, while Finn tried to hold her close to him.

"Are you excited?"

She turned around and faced him, bouncing excitedly. "Excited? Finn, I'm exhilarated. I've been dying to come here."

"I know you've mentioned it. I was hoping I remembered right."

"You did."

The line moved enough to where they were able to enter the theater and she started to tell him everything she knew about the theater and its history while she led him through the lobby. Rachel gasped at the sheer beauty that the theater possessed. There were large staircases leading up to w balcony that lined the back wall and overlooked the center of the lobby. There were murals on the wall, the floor was freshly polished, and the ceilings were ornate and beautiful.

Finn followed her as she moved to the stair case in a stunned silence. As she allowed her hand to run along the banister, Finn noticed her eyes welling with tears. He knew then, that bringing her here was the right choice. He gently placed his hand on her hip and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Are you ready to go find our seats?" She nodded and they entered the main theater to take their seats.

Rachel had only seen a couple real Broadway plays in her life. While the acting in this production wasn't quite at that level, everything else was. Everything seemed to flow wonderfully within the regal theater. She knew now why everybody had spoken so highly about it. The Lion King had its own challenges as a staged play and this theater was certainly doing it justice. Intermission came and went and soon it was time for Simba to take his rightful place at the throne.

When the lights went up Rachel clung to Finn tight as they made their way out of the theater. "Did you enjoy it?" Rachel asked.

"It was good. It was cool how they made the stage so jungle like."

They continued their discussion about the costumes and the music until they were at the doors to exit. Tangled together, they took a step into the doorway and collided with another theater goer. Rachel was still tucked under his arm and they three shared an apologetic look as they all stepped back.

"Sorry, you go ahead." Finn said, moving aside slightly so the woman could go by.

The woman smiled tiredly and brought her hand to her rather large belly. "I'm sorry. It seems my belly is getting in the way even more these days. If I keep bumping into people I'm going to have to keep myself hidden away until he's born." She took a step passed them and entered the doorway. "Three weeks to go. I'm sorry again, but thank you."

"No problem." Finn managed a smile as he and Rachel followed the obviously uncomfortable woman to the sidewalk.

Rachel watched the woman ahead of them walk to a small group of people gathered on the sidewalk. When they had first collided she hadn't noticed that she was pregnant, though she's not sure how she missed it. Her mind wandered to a string of what-ifs when she realized that that could have been her. She definitely would not have been able to complete half the classes she had taken over the last couple months. She couldn't take back the decisions they had made last year, and she's not sure she would, but she often found herself imagining what a child that was half her and half Finn would look like. Would it have been a boy or a girl; what would its name have been? She knew that allowing herself to think like that would only lead to heartache, she could only move forward. Her path to salvation was to prove to herself that it was not in vain. Rachel curled herself further into Finn's side and let all the what-ifs melt away.

The sudden appearance of a woman who appeared to be at the end of her pregnancy caught Finn by surprise. Mostly in the way it affected him. Shortly after he and Rachel visited the clinic that day, he had found that he needed an outlet. He felt as if he needed to find some salvation in the decisions they had made. Even though he knew it was the best for their situation, he needed to talk to someone. Eventually, he confessed to his mother. She didn't understand at first, but soon knew why they had made the choices they did. She hugged him and suggested that he join her at church; he resisted at first, but eventually decided to give it a try. He sat in the back and listened to what was being said. It all seemed to go along with the things he was feeling and when he left church that day, he felt calmer and more at peace. He didn't tell Rachel that he had confessed to his mother and gone to church for fear that it would make her feel bad about what had happened. They made the decision together and they would both carry it with them forever. What was done is done, they could only move forward.

Rachel stopped next to the truck and turned to face Finn. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Finn. Thank you for this. I think I needed it."

"Me too, Babe. Glad you had fun." He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers before kissing her. "You know I love you, right?"

She knows. "I love you too."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Thanks again."

Finn left the confines of his boss's office with his mind racing. He had just been offered the most amazing opportunity, one he was excited for after all his hard work and long hours he had put in while managing the music store. They wanted to give him his own store; one he could manage from the start. He would be in charge of everything, including stocking the shelves and hiring the staff. He was even granted permission to add a small stage where local talent could perform and practice. It was a huge opportunity and he wasn't sure he could pass it up.

Too bad his store would be in Chicago.

He and Rachel still hadn't discussed what they were going to do when she graduated and moved to New York. There was no way he could ask her to stay in Columbus for him, not that he would. He thought about going with her, but that would mean starting over. He had been working in the same music store for so long and now he finally felt as if he was going somewhere. Starting over didn't really seem like an option and he hated that he thought that way. He needed to talk to Rachel.

Rachel broke from the Theater Production textbook she was studying when she heard the knocking at the door.

She only had a week of classes left before she graduated next week. The senior play, her main obstacle before she could graduate had been completed a couple weeks ago, and all she was left with were a couple finals. But those finals were proving difficult to study for. Between the normal stresses of finishing college and the knowledge that she would be moving to a new city soon, she was feeling more overwhelmed than ever. She knew that she and Finn had been avoiding the discussion about what would happen when she moved and she knew that they couldn't avoid it much longer.

So when she opened the door and saw Finn standing there with his hands in his pockets, she knew that it needed to happen soon. "Hi Finn."

"Hey, Rach." She moved to the side and he entered her apartment, pausing to kiss her cheek as he walked by. He noticed the open book and a mess of papers scattered across her small table. "Studying?"

She walked past him and groaned. "I can't wait to finish with this class." She went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of bottles of water and offered him one as he sat. "I wasn't expecting you today; I thought you had to work."

"I did. I do. I decided to take a long lunch and come see you." He took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him. She knew he was acting funny and he knew she could tell. "I have some news."

Rachel watched as his lips quirked up into a small smile, the underlying sadness in it obvious to her. "Finn, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's good news, actually." He wrapped his free hand around their already entwined hands and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "They decided to let me manage my own store, from the ground up. It just started construction and they want me to run it."

Rachel squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck as she practically jumped in his lap and began peppering his neck with kisses. "Finn! That's amazing!" As she moved from one side to the other, she felt his Adam's apple bob.

"…In Chicago."

She stilled immediately, her lips halted by his words as if they were cold water. Slowly, she sat up on his lap and locked her eyes on his. "What?"

His hands grasped her hips firmly as he got up the courage to say it once again. "The store they want me to run is in Chicago." He watched Rachel blink back the tears that were welling up in her eyes and his heart broke a little. "I don't have to take it. I mean, that's why I'm here. I told them I wanted to talk to you about it before I gave them an answer. It's not a for sure-"

"You have to take it." She said softly, interrupting his rambling. She gently lifted herself off of his lap and sat beside him.

"Rach…"

Her hands found his as she turned to face him. "You have to take it." He opened his mouth to protest but she spoke again. "Look Finn, I'm moving to New York after graduation and we never talked about what would happen after that. We have both known it was going to happen, so we just didn't talk about it. We brushed it aside and avoided it. We can't do that anymore." Finn's hold on her hands became tighter as he nodded in agreement. "If you can tell me that you don't want to run your own store in Chicago and that you would rather move to New York, then fine." His eyes traveled to their entwined hands and she felt the first tear escape her eyes. "But I don't think you want that. You don't want to follow me and start over when you have been presented with this incredible opportunity."

It always amazed Finn how inside his head Rachel had always had been. They didn't always agree on everything, but they agreed on the major things; the things that were important and usually hurt the most. "Rachel. I-I."

"Shhh, Finn. It's okay."

He kissed her hand again and steadied his breath. "I don't want to lose you, but I don't know how we move forward without that happening. I love you, I probably always will. You're right though, I do want the job in Chicago. I just don't know how we can make it work while we are a thousand miles away from each other. It isn't fair to either of us to be so far apart. I'm going to be really busy getting this store ready and you are going to be earning your first Tony." The tears rolled down her cheek as a watery smile spread across her lips. He lifted his hand to her cheek, his thumb trying to wipe away the tears that showed no sign of slowing. "Besides, Will said that if I do as well with the new store as I did with this one, than he might like to have me as a business partner someday." He looked down at their hands once again. "I don't know if I can do it without you."

"You can. You will." She rested her hand over his on his cheek and scooted closer to him as her tears momentarily slowed. "You are going to do amazing things with that store Finn and they are going to be lucky to have you. And just because we are going to be apart, that doesn't mean you can't call me anytime."

Finn signed, his eyes locked on Rachel's while his thumb gently rubbed her cheek. "I'm going to miss you, you know."

"I'm going to miss you too."

He fused his lips to hers, pouring in all the passion that he could into a kiss that tasted like tears and felt like goodbye. They gently peeled the clothes off one another, taking the time to memorize everything about the skin underneath as if it was the last time they were ever going to make love. Because, maybe it was.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Summer-

Rachel listened to the cheers as joined her class mates in tossing her cap into the air. She had done it. She had graduated near the top of her class and tomorrow she was starting her journey to New York. Her dads had made the trip to see her graduate and help her pack, tomorrow night they would spend the night at their house in Lima and the next day they would drive to New York. She had an interview for a job at a theater early next week. If she got it, it would afford her the time to audition while she earned the money she needed to live.

The only thing missing was Finn. She already missed him and they hadn't even moved yet. They had met up with each other earlier in the week to trade boxes of things that the other had found while packing up their apartments. The meeting was filled with tears and promises to keep in touch.

Finn watched nervously as the new graduates wandered around searching for their caps. He noticed Rachel in the crowd and kept his eye on her, waiting until she emerged from the crowd. He was nervous for being here after they had broken up last week, but he couldn't bring himself to miss it. Before he could talk himself out of it, she emerged from the dispersing crowd and he began walking towards her. She was wearing the traditional red graduation gown and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She had the cap clasped firmly in her hands as she approached him. "Hi." He said simply.

"Hey Finn. What are you doing here?"

He held his hand out to her, revealing a bouquet of pink and white lilies. "I wanted to see you graduate. I couldn't miss it."

She took the bouquet from him and brought them to her nose, inhaling their fragrance deeply. "They're beautiful. You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. I also brought you this." He put his hand in his pocket and removed a small box that he handed to her. She took it and looked at it with uncertainty. "Open it."

"Finn. I can-can't."

She tried to hand it back to him but he gently pushed her hand away. "You can."

Rachel reluctantly opened the small box to reveal a small gold star on a delicate chain. The tears came immediately. "Finn…"

"I saw it and thought of you. I got it months ago, before… I wanted to get you something special for graduation. Something you can take with you to New York that reminds you of your dreams."

Rachel wiped her eyes. "It's beautiful Finn, but are you sure? I mean you can return it and yet your money back."

"I want you to have it."

She nodded once and he took it from the box and fastened it around her neck. She took the small star that was now hanging around her neck and rubbed it between her fingers. She had to admit that it was beautiful and very much her. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." He looked around for any signs of Hiram or Leroy before returning his attention back to Rachel. "Are your dads here?"

"They are around here somewhere. Probably waiting for me by their seats." She noticed his face fall slightly and she placed a hand on his arm. "They can wait a minute. So, did you find out when you leave?"

Finn knew that they were both hurting because of their fresh break up and the distance that would be separating them, but he smiled anyway. He was happy that they were able to look past that pain and talk like friends. "I leave in a couple weeks. How about you? When do you go?"

"We leave tomorrow afternoon."

"You're gonna do great, Rach. Broadway isn't gonna know what hit it."

She opened her arms and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispered, before releasing him from her embrace.

"I better let you go find your dads, I'm sure they want to see you. Congratulations." He leaned down, wrapping his arm around her waist as he had done so many times in the past. "You're going to be a star." He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her cheek and stood tall in front of her. "Bye Rach."

She once again took the small star between her fingers. "Bye Finn. Good luck."

He gave her one last heart stopping Finn Hudson smile and disappeared into the crowd.

"Hey princess, where have you been?"

Rachel was startled by the sudden sound of her Daddy's voice. She turned around quickly and forced a smile before hugging him. "Sorry daddy. I was just talking to a friend."

It was then that Hiram came up beside his husband. "Hey, you found her. Nice flowers. Were you wearing that necklace when we got here?"

Rachel chose to keep where she got the necklace from to herself. Instead, she threaded her hands around each of her fathers arms. "Let's go eat."

* * *

**A/N- Sorry! Please don't kill me, still. This is only 7 chapters, so things will look up soon! Again I ask for you to be kind in your reviews, I promise this will start looking up very soon. **


	4. Not for Nothing

**A/N- Thank you for not murdering me. To say thank you, here is another chapter! And the good news is that we are on our way to a happy ending. Thanks to Erica for putting up with me.**

**Disclaimer- I still don't own Glee, the characters or any of the music or lyrics used.**

* * *

Winter-

_Ain't nobody gonna break my stride, nobody gonna slow me down. Oh no. I got to keep on movin'_

Though she had moved to New York three years ago, her daily routine had not changed much. She still started her day on the elliptical she still enjoyed curling up on the couch to watch Funny Girl and she still loved New York. The fast paced city kept her plenty busy since the day she moved here three years ago and now she was finally living her dream.

The job that she got at the theater gave way to her being in her first off Broadway musical which eventually led her to where she was now. Broadway. Mamma Mia had been running on Broadway for years and Rachel still couldn't believe that she was now on the stage every night playing Sophie, the bride trying to find out who her dad is.

Rachel strode on her elliptical in time with the fast paced playlist coming from her iPod. She wiped the sweat from her brow as the song gave way to a slower cool down song. When it finished, she stepped off the machine, showered, and got dressed, now ready to face the day head on.

After a short subway ride and an even shorter walk, she found her way inside the coffee shop where she was to meet her friend. As was customary, she ordered two coffees and waited.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry I'm late. I couldn't find my other shoe."

Rachel passed over the second coffee and pulled the girl in for a hug. "Your apartment isn't that big, Tina."

"I know." The girl sipped from the cup and shrugged her shoulders. "It seems to be my thing."

Rachel laughed and the girls threaded their elbows together and exited the coffee shop. "I probably wouldn't even know what to do if you were on time."

Tina Cohen-Chang played one of Rachel's friends in the show. They had met when Rachel was cast and as it does sometimes, life imitated art and they became close in real life. Rachel found the woman to be a wonderful friend and a great performer. At times, she felt as if they had been friends forever. Tina understood her and, perhaps more importantly, she put up with her.

"That's true." The women stopped at the corner and sipped from their drinks as they waited for the signal that they could walk. "I hope we get a good crowd tonight." Tina looked over at Rachel, who seemed to be staring into traffic. "Rachel?" She waited another minute and nudged her just as the light changed. Tina pulled lightly and Rachel fell in step next to her as they crossed the street. "What was that?"

"Sorry. I got distracted." The old blue Chevy caught Rachel by surprise, but more-so, the tall guy with dark hair sitting in the driver seat. It took a moment for her brain to realize that it wasn't Finn; by then it was too late. The memories had already been accessed. She and Finn talked a few times after they parted ways in Columbus, nothing too deep, each of them trying to keep some distance between them. Their phone calls became fewer and fewer and soon, stopped altogether. It didn't mean that she never thought about him though. Sometimes he would randomly enter her thoughts for no reason, and sometimes, like now, there would be something that would trigger a memory. And usually a smile. "That truck is just like the one Finn used to have."

"You could call him and see how he is, I'm sure he would like to hear from you too." Tina knew all about Rachel's history with Finn. Rachel had told her everything after a few glasses of wine one night. It was the first time that she had ever talked about it with anyone besides Finn and it felt good to get it off her chest. It was nice having someone to talk to when she got down.

"It's been years. I'm fine, it was a happy memory. Let's just get to the theater." Their history was filled with laughter and tears and life experience and Rachel cherished those memories. The truck disappeared completely from her sight and Rachel changed the subject whileher and Tina continued on their way to the theater, ready to perform their best for tonight's audience.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Finn stepped onto the sidewalk outside of his hotel and looked up in awe. He knew the city was large, but until this moment, he had no idea just how large. When he arrived in the city last night, he was not able to appreciate the sheer size of the city. Even at night, New York still had plenty of light; but the light of the day made much more of an impact. There were people everywhere. The sidewalk was crowded and noisy and everybody seemed to be in a constant state of motion.

He stood there, taking in the excessiveness of it all when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's a little crazy huh?"

Finn turned to see his boss and business partner, Will Schuester looking up at the tall building across the street. The man had started out as his boss so many years ago, but had morphed into a good friend over the years. He wanted Finn to succeed and did everything he could to make sure he did; including making Finn a partial owner in his small chain of music stores last year. "It's just a lot to take in."

Will stepped to the curb and climbed in a cab, waiting as Finn took another look from beside the open door of the cab. "It's not like Chicago is a small town Finn."

Finn sat inside the cab and shut the door just as Will gave the driver the address for their first meeting of the day. "I know. I just never thought I'd be here."

"It's New York, not the moon, Finn." Will chuckled. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

There was a time when all Finn wanted to do was be in New York, a time when he and Rachel were at a crossroads. Unfortunately, it was not to be then and he found himself in Chicago, a city which he enjoyed more than he thought he would. He threw himself into his work, mending his heart with time until he was able to enjoy the city that he called home. Still, he hoped to one day find his way to New York.

The Chicago store that Finn had been chosen to head up was a total success. Finn had taken the idea for the stage and turned the simple music store into a well ran night spot for musicians. The concept was a hit and Will wanted to try it again, in New York. The New York store was still only in the planning stages, but there were meetings set for Will and Finn all day that would get the ball rolling.

Lunch came after three successful meetings; meetings that were making Finn think that he might get to move forward with the plans for the New York store. The men sat down in a pizzeria for a much needed break and Finn wasted no time going to work on the first of his large slices of pizza. "Why do meetings make me so hungry?"

Will shook his head. "Everything makes you hungry."

"I guess that's true." Finn finished the first massive slice of pizza and started on another.

Will finished the last of his pizza and wiped his face and hands before placing the napkin on his empty plate and checking his watch. "We have some time. Do you want to check out Times Square? Our next meeting is in that area anyway."

"Yeah sure." Finn fished his slice and stood, following Will out of the pizzeria.

Times Square wasn't too far from where they ate so they walked, able to take in the experience as they made their way to the heart of New York City. They wound up near the iconic red steps situated in the midst of the street performers and tourists. Finn turned slowly as he eyed each of the billboards displayed overhead. Some of them were animated, changing often and keeping your attention. Others were incredibly large, but otherwise standard posters, most of which advertising current running Broadway plays. It wasn't until he saw the one for _Mamma Mia_ that he truly focused on what was in front of him.

"There is a lot going on in this part of the city." Will looked over at the older woman wearing a pair of sparkly pink underwear, silver stars over her nipples, and a matching cowboy boots and hat combo while she played guitar for the tourists. "Some more than others." Will shook his head and turned away from the woman and realized that Finn wasn't paying attention to him. "Finn?"

"Oh. Uh yeah?"

Will looked in the direction that Finn had been staring and smiled at the man. "Are you okay?"

Finn reluctantly tore his gaze away from the poster hanging in Times Square. He knew Rachel would make it big here, but he was not prepared to see her dressed in a wedding dress and smiling down on him from a 30 foot billboard. "Yeah. Of course." He turned back and smiled at the poster, then turned back to Will. "Do you think we I'll have time to see a show tonight?"

"I'm sure. But… _Mamma Mia_? Really? It seems a little, I don't know, not your thing."

Finn shrugged and looked at the sign once again. "I used to date her."

"Well then, we better get our tickets."

The men stood in the surprisingly short line, keeping track of time so that they wouldn't miss their next meeting. Finn made sure Will knew that he was not expected to go along with him, but Will insisted that it would be fun and chose to join him. Finn stepped to the window and was greeted by the friendly attendant. "Two for _Mamma Mia_ please."

"Sure, let me see what I have." The woman began typing and the buttons clicked out a quick rhythm. "It looks like I have a couple near the back for tonight or if you wait until-"

"Tonight is fine. The back is okay." The attendant told him the cost and as soon as Finn's card was swiped, the machine began printing the tickets.

"Alright, there you go sir. Enjoy your show."

Finn pocketed the tickets and he and Will headed towards their next meeting. As they crossed the street, curiosity got the best of Will. "So did you and your ex part on good terms?"

"Yeah." Finn smiled slightly. "Yeah. I was moving to Chicago and she was coming here, so we just decided to let go."

Will clapped him on the back as a show of support. "It was probably for the best." He entered the revolving door and waited for Finn to exit behind him. "Do you think you two will try again if you move here?"

"I don't know man. We loved each other and had a lot of shared history, but I haven't talked to her in over two years." He entered the elevator, Will by his side. "She could be dating someone or even married by now."

"Or she may not be."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, allowing the men to go to their meeting. If Finn was being honest with himself, he had thought about what could happen if he moved to New York. It's not like his time in Chicago had been spent in solitude, Finn dated a few women over the past couple years; none of them were serious or lasted too long. Finn knew that the years had not changed the feelings he had for Rachel. What he was struggling with was whether it was fair to either of them to reconnect and try again. If she was even available.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Rachel, they are ready for us at the stage."

Rachel stood in front of her vanity and clutched the small charm hanging around her neck tightly in her fist. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath while she recited her nightly affirmations in her head. When she finished, she removed the necklace and hung it on the hook she reserved on the vanity. She took one last look in the mirror and left the dressing room she called hers six days a week.

The cast and crew gathered backstage for the customary pre-show meeting, allowing the director to go over changes and cues as needed. Now that they were in their second month of the run with this cast, most of the bugs had been worked out and the meeting generally consisted of understudy assignments and a list of notable audience members. It being a mid-week performance, there weren't many of either.

At the end of the official business, the director deferred to his standard pep talk, taking his time to praise the cast and crew. They could all hear bustling on the other side of the curtain as the audience began to take their seats. That's when he knew it was time to wrap it up. They all put their hands in the center as best they could and quietly cheered in unison.

The group separated, and Rachel hugged Tina before she took her place at the side of the stage and waited for her cue.

Finn took his seat next to Will at the back of the theater and nervously waited for the curtain to go up. He clutched the playbill in his hands as he thought about what had happened since he bought these tickets.

The remaining meetings that he and Will had to attend had gone extremely well and if he had to guess, he would be moving to New York for a new store in about a year. The thought both excited and terrified Finn. Part of him was sad that he would be leaving behind a store that he had essentially built from the ground up. Chicago was always just a stop along the way, even if he didn't know where he was headed. Even though, he would miss it. He would miss the friends he made and the store that had become his life.

The plan was to hire a manager for the Chicago store, allowing Will to remain in Columbus while Finn handled the New York store; which, right now was only one store, but eventually could turn into more. Finn knew that heading up the New York area was major and now that he was a partner, it had major potential for his own future. It was no longer just a job, it was his livelihood; his future.

A future that had the possibility of including Rachel, even if she was just a friend.

He took a moment between the earlier meetings to order flowers that could be delivered to her at the theater. He sent her a bouquet of pink lilies, just like the ones from the corsage he had gotten her years ago and opted to leave the card blank. He didn't want to make this about him or their past; he just wanted her to smile with no pretenses.

Finn's heart began to beat wildly when the orchestra began to play and the curtains went up. When he saw Rachel make her way onto the stage, it stopped all together. Even so far away and in stage makeup she was still beautiful. He was captivated as she sang and danced on the Broadway stage. This was why they gave up all of the things they had all those years ago. Everything was so that Rachel could be on the stage. Finn was surprised when he felt himself getting choked up as she took her final bow on stage. She was magnificent and totally in her element and he couldn't have been more proud.

"Your girl was good; she's a great singer." Will said as they exited the theater.

"She is."

Rachel left the stage after taking her final bow of the night feeling amazing. She had already performed on this stage and in this theater many times, but tonight felt different. She felt as if it mattered more. Everything she had done tonight, even thought it had been the same as it had been yesterday, was more powerful. She sang better, she acted better, she was better.

She entered her dressing room and removed her stage makeup, immediately clasping her necklace back around her neck. She made her way to the normal array of flowers that usually decorated her dressing room. She plucked a couple of the cards from their bouquets and read them to herself with a smile. Her fans were always so thoughtful. There was one in the midst of them all that caught her eye and she reached for the card. To her surprise, the bouquet of pink lilies didn't have one. She bent down, placing her nose against the pedals before she inhaled their scent.

Lilies had always been her favorite flower and pink lilies were even better. The scent always reminded her of Finn and the time they shared together. Her hand instinctively went to her neck where it could touch the charm the hung there. She wished Finn knew how much of this was because of him. Sure she had her ambition and drive as long as she could remember, but the sacrifices he made for her to be here were not forgotten by her. She could never properly thank him for his role in her success.

She took the bouquet and moved it to a more prominent position in her dressing room and then finished changing. It wasn't long before Tina was knocking at her door saying that she was ready to go. As they did after almost every show, the girls walked out of the theater and greeted the fans that were gathered.

It was important to them both that they thanked people for coming to see them when they could have chosen to see something else. If they wanted an autograph or a picture, Rachel and Tina felt like it was the least they could do.

Finn and Will stood at the sidewalk watching a large group gathered at the side door of the theater. They watched as the crowd erupted into screams and applause when the door flew open and two women exited, waving and smiling as they moved closer to the crowd. They weren't too far from where the door was and it was easy for Finn to tell that one of them was Rachel. He smiled as he watched her take a couple pictures and smile with her fans, pausing to sign and hug as requested.

Finn contemplated going over to her and talking to her, but it didn't feel like the right time. He knew that he would eventually be moving here and when it was right he would be sure to look her up. When it was right.

"Are you ready?"

Will's voice caused Finn to turn back to the street where their cab was now waiting for them. "Yeah man." He took one last look before lowering himself into the cab and returning to his hotel with Will.

* * *

**A/N- I hope you are still with me! We are a little more than half way there now! Thank you all for the reviews and kind words! Much love!**


	5. New and Familiar

**A/N- Well hello there! I wasn't planning on posting this chapter so soon, but I just finished the final chapter and I'm getting excited. Also, it's only 10pm and I'm not ready for bed yet. I think you will all be happy with the direction we are going from here and I really hope you are enjoying this. Erica has been a wonderful support for me on this and I can't even begin to thank her enough. **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, it's characters, or the music or lyrics used. This is purely for fun.**

* * *

Fall-

Finn stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the familiar scene playing out ahead of him. Barely twenty feet in front of him, a petite brunette was standing on her toes and desperately trying to reach the top shelf. Finn watched for a moment as she swatted a few more times at the vitamins perched above her, only pushing them further back on the shelf. He heard her groan and decided it was time to come to her aid.

He stepped behind her and pulled the bottle she was reaching for off the shelf. "Looks like you could use a little help?"

Rachel turned at the familiar voice to see a broad chest directly behind her. She was surprised to realize that there was a reason the voice was familiar. "Finn?" He still looked as good as he did five years ago. He was still wearing the same cologne he did then and she was intoxicated once again by his scent. Once the initial shock had worn off, Rachel couldn't help but hug him. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." He pulled back and noticed the way her eyes widened. "Well not here, in the store here; New York, here."

"What? When did that happen?" Rachel was surprised to find out he had move to New York, she was even more surprised to be finding out this way.

"About eight or nine months ago. We are getting ready to open a new store over near the NYU campus." Looking at her now, Finn wondered why he didn't get in touch with her sooner. He knew part of it was that he knew how busy he was going to be with getting the new store up and running and he knew he wouldn't have much free time until it was open. It seemed now, that all that waiting still brought her to him. "Actually we open next week, you should come by. If you can."

"A new store? What about Chicago?" It took everything she had not to jump up and down and accept his invitation. Part of her wanted nothing more; the other, more rational, part of her was terrified of what could happen if she got to close. Their amicable break up still brought a lot of heart ache to Rachel. She wanted to reconnect with him, if nothing else for his friendship, because above everything else, they were friends. She worried though, that his job would once again take him away and her heart would once again shatter.

"The Chicago store is doing really well. We hired a great guy to take it over so I could move here and get this one going; and maybe another in Greenwich Village if everything goes well with this one." Hearing her voice and being able to reach out to her was affecting him in ways he didn't know were possible. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her again.

"Wow, you've done really well, Finn." She always knew he would, she just never thought that she would get to see it up close. She loved that his cheeks flushed red as looked to the floor; he never was one for praise like this.

"You haven't done too badly for yourself. I saw you in Mamma Mia, you were amazing." He lifted his head slightly so that he would be able to catch her reaction. He wondered if she would be angry, but when her watery eyes met with his, he knew there wasn't any anger there. Only disbelief.

"You- you saw me?"

"Yeah." Finn handed her the bottle that he had been holding since their conversation started and they began slowly walking. "Will and I were here for a few meetings. You blew everybody away." They stopped, briefly sharing a mutual look of adoration. "I saw you on the Tony awards, too. Congratulations on your nomination. I still can't believe you didn't win."

Rachel reaction was less than ladylike, the snort like scoff leaving her almost involuntarily. "Me either." Her gaze fell to the floor in preparation for her next question. She tried not to ask it, but she needed to know. "Why didn't you stop and say hello?"

"I didn't want to bother you or disrupt your plans; we hadn't talked in a while and I didn't plan to see your show. It just kind of happened. I did send you flowers though."

The sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks. It had been almost two years now, but the large bouquet of her favorite flowers that had been delivered that night stuck with her long after the pedals wilted. She remembered how she tended to them every day, refusing to let them go until they could no longer hold on. "The lilies…"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Finn wasn't sure she got them at all, let alone remembered them after all this time.

"I didn't… then." She reached out and rubbed her hand across his upper arm gently, hoping her touch would help him to know how much she appreciated the gesture. "They were beautiful, thank you."

Her touch set Finn's heart into overdrive. The rapid beating threatened to burst out of his rib cage and they started to walk in hopes of calming himself. "Anytime. Are you still in that same show?"

Finn's heart melting half smile appeared at her side and she was happy that they were once again on the move. "My contract is still good for a few more months."

"Then what?"

"There is talk of an original opening later this year. One of the producers mentioned that they might like to have me audition for the lead."

Finn had no doubts that if she chose to audition, she would get it. Rachel was a star and he knew it. "That's great, Rach."

"What about you? What happens after you open this store? What city is next for you?"

Over the years, Finn had always found some happiness wherever he had found himself. But the time that he and Rachel were together, was the only time that he truly felt like he was at home. Even now, when they weren't together or even in contact, Finn found a peace in New York because she called it home. "As of right now, New York is home. I don't see that changing anytime soon." Finn looked at her ring finger trying to subtly find out if she was attached or not. The lack of ring sparked some hope as he once again invited her to his stores opening. "So what do you say? Do you think you can make it to the opening? It's casual and you can bring a date if you want."

Rachel couldn't help but smile shyly. Since she had moved to the city, she had only had one semi-serious relationship. They weren't even together that long, probably because of the impossibly high bar that had been set by the man at her side. "A date won't be necessary, I'd rather come alone. I'll see if I can work it out." She hoped his not-so-subtle inquiry meant that he was single also, and even though part of her hoped he was in a relationship so that she would not be tempted, the other part wanted nothing more. "Do you have the same number?"

"Oh, no, here is my card." Finn pulled out his wallet and retrieved a standard white business card as they took their place at the back of the checkout line. "Do you have a pen?"

"Yes."

Finn watched as she pulled a pink pen from her purse and he smiled. No matter how famous she gets, she still held true to what made her Rachel Berry. He took the pen and wrote on the back of the card before passing them both back to her. "Here. My personal number is on the back. I hope I will see you there."

"Me too, it was great seeing you, Finn."

"You too." Finn could hardly believe it when Rachel leaned up on her toes and placed a lingering kiss to his cheek. "Call me"

At this point it was going to take a force of nature to keep her from calling him. "I will" Finn walked away and Rachel took the moment to look at the business card he had left with her. Her eyes once again went misty when she saw the word 'owner' next to Finn's name.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"I can't believe how many people are here." Will stood next to Finn as they both looked around the bustling music store. While Will knew that Finn was good at what he did, this far surpassed his expectations. Usually when you schedule a grand opening party, the first hour makes you wonder if you made the right decisions. In this case, the place was already the place to be and it was only twenty minutes in.

"Me either."

Will clapped him on the shoulder, once again proud to have made the decision to make him a partner in his business. "You've done a great job with this, Finn."

Finn was pleased with the turnout as well. He hoped that the grand opening would go well, but you never know until it happens; or it doesn't. He had several small bands lined up for the evenings live music, but until then, he half expected it to be relatively dead. "I learned from the best."

"Don't be so modest. This one is all you. I am man enough to admit that none of this would be possible without you." Will pulled an envelope out of the inside of his suit jacket and handed it to Finn. "Here, this is for you."

Finn eyed the envelope suspiciously, all the while wondering what it could contain. "What is it?"

"It's something to show my appreciation for everything you have done."

His eyes just about bulged out of his head when he saw the large check the envelope held. "Whoa. Will, I was just doing the job you hired me to do." Finn received a pay check and benefits in exchange for the time he put in at the store. He made a good living and felt he was being compensated fairly, that's why the extra zeros on the unscheduled check caught him off guard. Not that he was complaining.

"Exactly. It's because you are so good at it that we had the best year ever." Will smiled widely, happy to see a genuine reaction from someone whom he felt had worked his butt off in the last year. "That's your cut"

What else could he say? "Wow. Thank you, Will. For everything." He took the check and tucked it safely in his jacket pocket.

"Thank you," Will said genuinely. He looked around the room once again, then back to Finn. "How about we party; this is a party, right?"

Finn smiled, "Sure is." It was Finn's turn to survey the room and though he expected her to show up, he wasn't prepared to see Rachel across the room, talking to another customer.

She called him the day after they had ran into each other at the corner store and he had never been happier to hear his phone ring. Their conversation mostly consisted of the safe topics, like work and such, but they were both just happy to hear the other's voice. Before either of them knew it, it was over an hour later. Finn had given her the details of the grand opening and she agreed to come.

"Whoa. Isn't that…?"

Her presence had blinded Finn to everybody else in the room and Will's question had startled him. "She came."

"Did you know she was coming?"

"Yeah. I saw her last week and invited her to stop by. Then we talked on the phone for a while."

Will looked at Rachel then back to Finn. It was clear to him that whatever had happened to them years ago, it was did not dampen their connection. "I think you better go say hello."

Finn was already walking towards her. "See you later, Will."

Rachel saw Finn talking to Will when she entered the room. It looked as though they were having an important conversation. It didn't looks serious, but she chose to hang back anyway. She found herself wandering around the main part of the store until she struck up a conversation with another customer. Her vantage point gave her a perfect view of Finn.

His tailored three piece suit fit him as if it was made for his body, clinging to his torso as if he was a model. More than the physical attraction, Rachel felt pride. When he graduated college he wanted nothing more than to be a boss that people would look up to. He wanted success but not at the expense of who he was. It was clear to her that he was happy in the life that he had created. He was successful and working with people that he genuinely liked working with. It seemed as if all of his dreams had come true.

Rachel found her way back into the conversation with the stranger, happily chatting about their favorite music until she felt a hand on the small of her back.

"You made it."

Rachel spun to see Finn smiling at her. "I wanted to stop by before I had to be at the theater for tonight's show. I was just chatting with my new friend here." Rachel turned back to the older lady and politely thanked her for the conversation before moving herself out of the conversation.

"I'm glad you could come. What do you think?"

Rachel looked around the space again, her eyes catching glimpses of things she had missed before. "It's amazing. There is so much more happening than there was at the Columbus store." Rachel had spent time with Finn the Columbus store while they dated. She would often come to see him after classes or when she had some time to spare. They often found themselves exploring the music and playing the different instruments; even stealing kisses when they could. But that store was plain compared to this one. There was more space and more options here.

"Yeah. We added a stage and a rehearsal space and a few other things that make us more marketable. This store is just a little bigger than the one in Chicago, but it's basically the same thing."

Her eyes scanned the room, still filled with strangers here for the same reason she was. "It's so great."

"Would you like a tour?" He asked softly.

"Do you have time? I would hate to take you away from your party."

Finn looked into her eyes. "You're not taking me away from anything."

She nodded and he gently took hold of her hand and led her throughout the store. Finn watched her reaction carefully. He couldn't take his eyes off her while she looked around the store. As much work and time as he had put into this store, it meant a lot to him that she liked it. He couldn't explain why, exactly, but it was as if he had brought his world to live in hers and it mattered to him what she thought.

The tour concluded in Finn's office located upstairs. He had a window overlooking the main area below and Rachel looked out in awe. There seemed to be more and more people filling the space. "I can't believe you built all this."

"I didn't really build anything; I just pointed a lot and hired some good people." He moved to stand next to her in front of the window.

Rachel turned to face him as she made sure he got the praise he deserved. "Don't be so modest, Finn. I'm really proud of you."

"I'm really glad you came," he said in almost a whisper.

"Me too. It's good to see you happy."

He took a small step closer to her, ignoring the erratic beating of his own heart. "I'm always happy when you are around."

"Finn..." Rachel hoped that Finn could not hear how out of control her heart was. It was almost the only thing she could hear and she hoped he couldn't tell how he was affecting her.

"Go out with me Rach. Please?"

There it was. The question she wanted to hear more than anything and also terrified her. "I don't know Finn. I mean, we haven't seen each other in five years. What if too much has changed?"

Finn closed the gap between them, though he was careful not to touch her. He could feel the electricity in the minuscule space that separated them and he knew she could too. "Can you feel that?" He paused, waiting for her to verbalize what he already knew. When she didn't, he continued. "I do and I think you do to. I'd say there is still something here, don't you think?"

She tried to steady her breathing, knowing that there was not much that could be done. She was grasping at straws now, only trying to talk herself out of something she desperately wanted. "We don't even know each other anymore."

Finn took one step back, allowing the cool air to circulate between them once again. "Then we get to know each other. It will be like a first date; a second first date."

"A second first date?" He was right. Isn't that what dates were for, to get to know the other person. She found herself officially out of lame excuses that where only delaying her inevitable agreement. "Okay."

"Okay?" Finn smiled at her only for it to get wider when she nodded. "Awesome."

Finn had a date to plan.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

It was easy to remember how she so easily fell in love with Finn the first time. Rachel sat next to him on the subway, thinking about their shared history as they made their way to the next destination of the night. They had already had dinner together, taking the time to enjoy each other's company and catch up on the last five years. Rachel forgot how nice it was to be with someone who just understood her. She didn't have to defend her ambition or alter her personality, she could just be herself.

"Thank you for tonight, Finn."

Finn turned in his seat and took her hand softly. When he picked her up at her house a couple hours ago, he found himself nervous and excited. The light blue dress she wore took the breath from his lungs. Her hair was swept up in a side bun, exposing her neck to the cool night air. They had gone to dinner and were now headed to an observatory on the campus of Columbia University. He heard that there were telescopes set up on the roof so that you can see the stars from within the city. Finn remembered how Rachel used to love looking up at the stars from the back of his truck and he doubted that city life afforded her the opportunity too often. "The night is not over yet, Rach."

"I know. It just- I just didn't realize how much I missed you until now."

He smiled and squeezed her hand, his eyes locked on hers. "Me too." It was then that the subway stopped and Finn realized that they were at their stop. He tugged her hand gently, leading her off of the train and out to the street. The night sky was dark as Finn led her through the Columbia University campus.

"What are we doing here?"

Finn stayed silent, instead leading her to the front of a tall brick building. "We are going up there." He pointed to green dome at the top of the building in front of them, enjoying her reaction as her eyes found where he was pointing.

"Up there?"

"Trust me?"

Of course she trusted him. There had never been a reason not to before and she would let him lead her wherever he wanted. With their hands entwined, she followed him to the roof of the building. She had asked a few questions about what they would be doing, but they were only answered with a squeeze of her hand and a smile. He pushed the door open, revealing a few people gathered on the darkened roof looking up at the night sky. There were a few telescopes scattered around, waiting for someone to look through them.

"I didn't know this was here." Rachel breathed, looking up at the night sky.

"This is one advantage to hiring college kids; you get to find out about these things." He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to an unoccupied telescope. "Take a look."

Rachel lowered her eye to the scope and immediately saw a blue orb, streaked with bright bands of light. "Finn. It's beautiful."

"It is." Though Rachel was referring to what she saw in the lens of the telescope, Finn was not. The woman in front of him was far more captivating than even the brightest star. She stood up, shyly stepping back to allow him a turn. "Whoa. That's cool." Finn stood up, turning his attention back to Rachel, who shivered slightly. "Are you cold?"

She rubbed her upper arms and internally scolded herself for not bringing her jacket. She decided against it because of how warm it had been that day, but she should have known that the night air would turn chilly. "A little. I'm fine." She watched as Finn instantly slipped off the dress jacket that he was wearing. The off white button up dress shirt that he wore underneath was now all that covered his broad chest. Finn rested the jacket on Rachel's shoulders and she was assaulted by his scent. "Thank you." She said softly.

Looking at Rachel standing under the night sky wearing his jacket, Finn found himself lost in her once again. He stepped closer and smoothed his hands over the shoulders of his jacket. He leaned in slightly as his hands rested on her arms. "Is that better?"

"Much." Rachel found herself leaning closer to him as her hand rested on his chest. She lifted herself till her lips met with his and the outside world fell away. His arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her as close to him as possible. After a few moments, they reluctantly parted lips and Finn rested his forehead on hers, both trying to catch the breath that had been taken by the other.

"Mr. Hudson, you made it." Finn and Rachel turned to the unwelcomed voice, their foreheads still resting together. "I didn't think you would."

Finn gave Rachel a silent apology and took her hand as he turned to face the student. "Hey there, Jason. Yeah, we decided to come and check out the stars."

"Did you see Neptune?" The couple nodded, hoping not to take the conversation further. Jason took the hint and stepped back. "Cool. See you at work tomorrow."

"Bye Jason." Finn turned back to face Rachel, wrapping his arms around her once again. "That's the down side to hiring college kids; they don't know when to leave people alone."

Rachel giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck before fusing her lips back to Finn's.

* * *

**A/N- What did you think? Like I said, we are all about a happy ending at this point, only 2 chapters left. Please leave a review if you feel inclined, I do love hearing from you. Much love. **


	6. Is That a Yes?

**A/N- Thank you all for the love and support. To reward you, there will be some nakedness in this chapter! As always, Erica gets a thank you. On with the party, shall we.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, its characters ,or any of the music or lyrics used.**

* * *

Spring-

"Finn, your mom is here."

Finn set down the phone and moved around the papers on his desk in an attempt to tidy up before going to lunch with his mom. She had called a little while ago, saying that Burt was stuck in a meeting and she had some free time. Their trip to New York had been a surprise to Finn and even though he still hadn't told them that he was seeing Rachel again, he was happy to see his mother and Burt. They talked on the phone at least once a week, but it had been a few months since he had seen them in person and despite the unplanned interruption to his day, Finn was excited to have lunch with his mother. He closed the door to his office and made his way downstairs.

The difficult thing about Rachel's schedule is that it kept her at work while Finn was home. She had just started rehearsal for her new show and her schedule had her at the theater until late at night; having her sleeping in later than she normally would in the morning. Rachel felt bad about missing Finn's phone call this morning and decided to surprise him for lunch. She knew that his parents were going to be in town for the next few days and until they were able to tell them that they were back together, they would not get much alone time.

She pulled the door open to the music store and smiled when she heard the melodic ringing of the bell, signaling her arrival. She made her way into the store, stopping to inspect the bulletin board as she always did. She was only able to get through one poster advertising piano lessons before she heard a woman's voice behind her.

"Rachel?"

When she turned, Finn's mother was smiling widely and began taking steps towards her. Rachel found that she had missed the woman who she had come to know fairly well in the two years that she dated Finn. "Oh my God, Carole?"

"Rachel. I haven't seen you in so long." Carole opened her arms and pulled the girl into a tight hug, which they held for a moment before parting. "How have you been honey?"

Rachel thought about how to answer, knowing that she and Finn had not yet told her they were back together. "Good, great actually. I just started rehearsal for a new show."

"I saw you and the cast perform last time; on the Tony's" Carole smiled proudly, remembering how she felt when she saw Rachel on TV. "I'm so proud of you."

It was in that moment Rachel knew just how much she missed having a mother figure in her life. Carole had welcomed her into her family and been there for her in a way that she didn't have before. It wasn't as if they spent a lot of time together- they were in different cities- but Rachel always knew that she was there. It was something she always appreciated. "Thank you."

"Do you live near here?"

Rachel's eyes went wide as she tried to find an answer. Luckily, she looked up just in time to see Finn coming up behind his mother with wide eyes.

"Rachel? I didn't know you'd be stopping by."

Rachel looked between a freaked out Finn and slightly confused Carole. "I came by to see if you wanted to go to lunch, I think you already have plans though."

Carole looked between then and waved her hands dismissively. Truth is, she wanted to find out what was going on with these two. Last she heard they hadn't seen each other in years. "Oh no; it's nothing like that. Why don't we all go?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude, we can go another time." Rachel bit her lip and looked at Finn, hoping he had the answer.

"Rach, why don't you come with us? You are already here and it'll be fun." His lip pulled up into a smile as he sent her a pleading look. He wanted to spend time with her and a part of him loved that his girlfriend and his mom got along so well.

"I would love to catch up some more," Carole added.

Rachel looked between them, deciding that she would go along. She was already here and they both seemed to want her to go along. "As long as I wouldn't be intruding."

"Don't be silly." Carole waved her off again and took a step towards the door. "Are you ready Finny?"

He smiled and took hold of Rachel's hand as he led them out of the store. "Yeah."

Carole noticed their intertwined hands immediately. "Wait. Are you two…" She looked between them, noticing how they shared a look as they continued to walk down the city sidewalk. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's still pretty new," Rachel defended.

"Oh. This is wonderful news. Tell me everything."

Carole clapped her hands, reminding Finn of how Kurt reacted when he found out. "Mom…"

In spite of his protests, Finn and Rachel shared with Carole the events that brought them back together. By the time the story had brought them to present time, they were already seated and waiting for their waitress.

"I just can't believe it." Rachel watched Carole attempting to wrap her head around her and Finn's reunion. It wasn't until Carole continued that she figured out if it she thought it was good or bad. "A part of me always wanted you two to end up together. When you broke up and moved to different cities, I always hoped it would be temporary."

Rachel was surprised at the revelation. Ever since Finn had told her how she helped him cope with their decisions, she wondered if Carole resented her for denying her a grandchild all those years ago. It hurt to think that Carole might think ill of her. "Really?"

"Of course. Rachel, I've always thought of you as part of the family and my Finny was always happy when you two were together." The older woman looked at Finn, who sat mostly silent as the women talked. "It just makes me happy that you've found your way back to one another."

"Thank you. That means a lot to hear that from you." Rachel rose from her seat at the table so that she could give the hug she felt would begin to let Carole know how much she meant to her. While in the embrace, Rachel couldn't help but whisper into Carol's ear. "He makes me happy too."

Finn watched on as the two women he loved most rekindled a relationship with one another. That's when it hit him; he loved her just as he did back then. This time though, there wasn't any looming distance between them.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Winter-

There were some days, Rachel hated being so short. It always seemed that whatever she needed was placed just out of her reach. It didn't even matter where she was; she always found herself wishing there was a stool nearby. She tried again to reach for the coffee filters that, for some unknown reason, Finn kept in the cupboard above the sink. It was far too early for her to be having such difficulties.

Last night, when her show finished, Rachel came straight to Finn's condo. Since Finn had cleaned out a drawer for her to use, there was no reason for her to go home, especially when it would cut into her day off with Finn. Mondays were theirs and Rachel wanted to make coffee and then breakfast, if only she could reach the damn coffee filters. She stretched on her toes once more, hoping that she would somehow be able to reach this time. Her fingertips grazed the edge of the package just as she felt a large hand wrapping around her waist and lips attach to her neck.

"Why are we always meeting like this?"

This was not part of Finns plan; he was only trying to figure out where his girlfriend went. When he found her stretched over the sink in his kitchen wearing nothing but a thin tank top and short shorts, he couldn't help himself. Her stretching caused the hem of her shorts to ride just a little higher, allowing her perfect ass to peek out of the bottom and he couldn't help it. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her neck as he pressed himself against her. "Like what?" He mumbled against her neck.

"Everything is up so high up in your kitchen." Rachel struggled to get the words out as she felt Finn's hardness pressed against her backside and his tongue on her neck.

Finn pulled down the filters and set them on the counter, still nipping and sucking at Rachel's neck. "Move in and we'll move them lower."

Rachel stilled at the nonchalant tone of his words. She turned in his arms, leaning against the counter as she tried to decide if he was joking or not. "Are you serious?"

"I am." He loved her, she loved him; they had been dating for almost six months at this point, why not move in together? They were always at his place or hers and it was time to take the next step. It may not have been the most eloquent way to ask, but it felt right. He was just about to ask her again when she launched herself at him.

He stumbled backwards as her lips fused to his in a frantic attack. He stopped when his back hit against the cool metal of his fridge and he wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist. Her hands tugged at the back of his hair while she lifted her right knee to his side. Finn's large hand traveled down to her ass then followed her thigh, rubbing it as they continued to kiss against the fridge.

She pressed her center against him just as he took hold of her knee and tugging gently, silently signaling for her to jump. He took hold of both of her knees, carrying her across the kitchen while he moved his lips to her neck.

Rachel held tight, letting the euphoric feeling of floating in Finn's arms wash over her. It wasn't long before she felt herself being placed on the cold surface of the kitchen table. She nipped at his earlobe as her hands traveled up his torso, bring the plain white t-shirt he was wearing with it. Rachel pulled back, allowing him the space he needed to pull off the shirt completely. Her hands found a place on his bare chest before the shirt hit the floor and her tongue joined them soon after.

Finn placed his hands on her knees, slowly sliding them up her thighs until the found her hips, wrapping his fingers around the waistband of the tiny shorts. He pulled slightly until Rachel lifted her hips and slowly pulled off her shorts and the panties that were underneath, allowing his fingers drag across her skin as he slowly pulled them off. He dropped them on to the floor, only loosing contact with her for a moment. His hands reversed their previous path, now traveling upward just ahead of his tongue. He left a trail of wetness as he dragged his tongue up her leg, eliciting a moan when it hit her inner thigh. His hands held tight to her hips as her hands moved to rest behind her on the table, knocking something onto the floor in the process.

"Leave it." Finn said, lowering his hand to Rachel's core as he stood taller and attached his lips to hers once again.

Rachel lifted herself up and dragged her nails down Finns chest, snaking her hand in the waistband of his basketball shorts and boxer briefs. She wrapped her hand around his length, tightening her grip as she felt Finn slip a single finger inside her. She slid her hand all the way down to the base of his shaft then pulled back, stroking his length slowly and matching the rhythm of his finger. Rachel held herself steady by wrapping her free hand around Finn's neck while the other continued to stroke him. It was then that Finn added a second finger, moaning against her neck as she twisted her hand around him.

They were both breathing heavy and Finn could feel Rachel's wetness increasing. He pulled back, removing his fingers entirely, long enough to remove her tank top. Rachel's unhanded his hardness and lifted her arms, allowing Finn to pull her shirt over her head. Her shirt now on the kitchen floor, she took hold of his shorts at his hip, pushing them down until they cleared his hips and fell to the floor with his underwear.

She wrapped her arms around Finn's neck, returning her lips to his as she pivoted on the edge of the table, moving Finn to where he was standing in front of one of the chairs. She stood, gently coaxing his naked form into the chair. His fingers wrapped around her hip bones as she straddled him in the chair. He held her steady as she locked eyes with him and positioned herself over him. After one more searing kiss, she lowered herself on his shaft and smirked at the way his eyes seemed to roll back into his head. She sunk all the way down, both of them moaning as he filled her completely.

When her and Finn dated before, she never thought to get on birth control. Now older, and wiser, she had been on the pill for a few years now. Nothing could ever compare to the way it felt to be wrapped around Finn without any barriers. She didn't think she would ever tire of the sensation of him inside her like that.

"You feel so good." Finn moaned out, thrusting into her as his hands found their way to her naked ass.

She rolled her hips on his lap and tightened hers arms around his neck. She slowed and leaned back slightly, changing the angle just enough that Finn was now perfectly positioned inside her. Finn matched her thrusts, speeding up as their moans reverberated throughout the kitchen, nearing the climax that was careening towards them.

She took hold of the chair back and leaned back a little more causing Finn to stiffen. He brought his arms around Rachel's middle, holding her tight as he increased his speed. "Rach…"

She rolled her hips again and Finn moved inside of her faster. She felt herself losing control and she knew this was it. "Finn, I'm coming. I'm coming, Finn." She held tight to the chair and her orgasm rendered her speechless.

Finn's felt Rachel tighten around him and his own orgasm took him over. He stilled, holding onto her as he pushed himself as deep inside of her as he could go. The involuntary shutters held them in the chair as the rode out the waves of ecstasy in each other's arms.

Their breathing slowed and they each shuttered one last time before Rachel sat up and kissed him deeply. When they broke apart, Finn smiled at her. "So, was that a yes?"

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Spring-

"What time does the show start again?"

Rachel picked her purse up off the table and stopped in front of Finn. "Doors open at six, Daddy." She lifted up on her toes and kissed Finn's cheek before reaching further to whisper in Finn's ear. "Are you sure you'll be okay with them?"

Finn smiled and kissed her lips softly. "I'll be fine." He glanced at the clock then to Rachel. "You better get going. Break a leg tonight and we will wait for you after the show."

"Okay." She turned her attention to her dads, pointing at each of them with a stern look. "Be nice."

Hiram and Leroy both chuckled a little. They had spent most of the day with Finn and Rachel without incident. They liked Finn before and that hadn't changed, it seemed as though he really cared for their daughter and that's all they ever wanted. "Break a leg, Princess."

Reluctantly, Rachel kissed them on the cheek and said one last good bye before leaving the three men in her and Finn's apartment alone. When they had made the plans for her fathers to come see her play, she hadn't thought about the hour or so that Finn and her dads would be left alone. She hoped that her dads would be able to control themselves and keep the invasive questioning to a minimum. She could hope.

Finn's palms immediately became sweaty as soon as Rachel walked out the door. He had been looking forward to the time alone with her dads and now that he had it, he was inwardly panicking.

"Are you alright, Finn?" Hiram asked while taking a seat on the sofa.

Finn sat across from them and wiped his hands on the legs of his khakis. "I'm fine, just a little nervous, I guess."

Leroy smiled as he took his partners hand. "It's not like we have never spent time together before. We've been together all day."

"Oh, I think I know what this is about." Hiram squeezed Leroy's hand and leaned forward in his seat. "Go on."

"Oh-okay." Finn swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as his heart rate increased. "Can I get you guys something to drink?" The men shook their heads, a look of amusement on their features. "Okay. Well, as you know, I've been dating Rachel for almost a year and a half now. Plus the time we dated while she was in college. All together that makes over three years and we live together now."

"Finn…" Hiram said, stopping Finn's rambling, "Breathe."

Finn took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes as he mentally prepared himself to move forward. "Anyway… I love her and she loves me. We have been through a lot together already, and I would really like to keep experiencing things with her." His lips quirked up as he looked between the men. "Forever. What I'm trying to say is that I would like permission to marry your daughter."

The men sat in silence for what was only a minute, but to Finn seemed like an eternity. They turned to look to each other, a silent conversation happening between them until Leroy turned his attention to Finn. "You have treated our daughter with nothing but respect and love and we trust that you will continue."

"Of course, sirs."

"Oh Finn, stop with the 'sir' nonsense." Hiram started. "You know that we have always supported your relationship with our daughter. Her happiness and security is all we care about and you have given her both. Just the fact that you are willing to ask us this question at all proves to us that you love her." The men shared a look and a smile and turned back to Finn. "You absolutely have our blessing."

Finn stood and extended a hand to each of the men, shaking their hands firmly. "Thank you."

"I just have one question," Leroy started, "okay, maybe two. Do you already have the ring and can we see it?"

Finn nodded and went to retrieve the ring from where he had it hidden away in the very top of his and Rachel's closet. He opened the box and passed it over to Leroy. "It was my mothers. I asked her for help when she was here last time and she sent this to me."

The relatively simple ring sparkled in the light as the men inspected the ring with reverence. There were three small diamonds set in the band of the elegant with a larger square cut diamond perched in the center. "This is beautiful, Finn."

"Our Rachel is going to love it." Hiram closed the box and passed it back to Finn with a smile. "When are you going to pop the question?"

Finn wrapped his hand around the box and shrugged. "I was thinking around the Tony's."

"Good choice." Leroy stood first, followed by Hirum, and held his hand to Finn. "Welcome to the family, son. How about we go see the show?"

After the show, Rachel accepted congratulations and bouquets from her fathers and Finn before seeing them to their hotel for the evening. Hand in hand, Finn and Rachel make their way home from their subway stop.

"How were they? They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

Finn chuckled and kissed the back of her hand. "We got along fine. Don't worry."

The silence surrounded them for about a block until Rachel sighed deeply. "Do you think that we would have stayed together if we would have gone through with the pregnancy?"

"Whoa." Finn stopped in the middle of the side walk; he turned to face her as he took hold of her hands. "What brought this on?"

Rachel looked down at the sidewalk and brushed the soles of her heel on the ground. "I don't know. My dads visit, the date… just forget it. I'm being crazy." This time of year always made Rachel wonder 'what if.' The time of her when she figured their baby would have been born, made her think back on the choices that were made. She was achieving all of the things that she set out to do and so had Finn. The years they spent apart had helped them to grow as individuals, personally and professionally, and now that they were together again, she wondered if they made the right decision all those years ago.

"No. You're not." Finn reached a hand to the side of her face and brushed her hair aside, his palm resting against her cheek. "We made that decision together. We made it together and we made it with the information we had available at the time." He took a step closer to her, his thumb rubbing her cheek softly. "We can't let the choices we made then, right or wrong, keep us from moving forward now. I love you. I did then and I will tomorrow."

Rachel's eye became misty as Finn spoke. She knew he was right. "I love you too."

He kissed her on the side walk and took her hand as they started to walk once again. "I always knew that our story would end with us together. Even when we were apart, I felt like I was just biding my time until we found each other again."

"Finn…"

"We are tethered. I think you're stuck with me." As Rachel's lips found his, just outside their building, Finn thought about the diamond ring he had hidden away upstairs.

He hoped he would be able to wait until the Tony awards.

* * *

**A/N- I hope that smut was satisfactory, I don't write it much. There is only the epilogue left! Much love! **


	7. Grace

**A/N- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Your support and kind words throughout this fic have been so wonderful and I am beyond grateful. This is the final chapter and I truly hope you enjoyed it. Special thanks to Erica and Redambition for the behind the scenes support. **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, it's characters, or any of the music or lyrics used. As mentioned, this story is based on Red Rag Top by Tim McGraw.**

* * *

Summer-

"And that makes three." Rachel placed the shiny new trophy on the mantle between the two others and delicately turned the medallions, arranging them on the shelf as Finn watched on.

"They look good up there babe."

Only three hours ago, Rachel was sitting in one of her favorite theaters as her name was being announced from the stage as the best actress in a musical. Rachel was happy, as happy as she was the first two times, this time though as she looked to her husband in the audience, she felt incomplete. She loved him, there was no doubt about that, but she felt that maybe their family of two was ready to be a family of three. The notion plagued her thoughts since and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the desire. More importantly, she's wasn't sure that she wanted to.

Their life in New York had been good to them. Three years ago, Rachel was able to perform on stage with her cast at the Tony's and the whole incredible night was topped off when Finn proposed. They were married later in the year and went to the next years Tony's as husband and wife. That was also the year she won her first (and second) Tony. The next year hadn't been as kind to Rachel in the way of awards, but it turned out that she still had plenty to be proud of.

Finn's NYU store had done so well that he was able to open the second music store in Midtown New York. The stage and practice space had made both stores a big hit for musicians in the area, making them a lucrative New York City business. Finn had become the manager that all the employees looked up to and he was extremely well respected, just as Rachel knew he would be.

Their success had made it possible for them to purchase a two bedroom apartment in Lenox Hill earlier this year. They weren't looking for an apartment at the time, but a real estate friend had seen it and said it reminded her of the couple. Knowing that their lease was up soon, she suggested they take a look. A week later they were putting in an offer and six weeks after that, they were moving in.

"What are you thinking about? You have been uncharacteristically quiet tonight; especially for someone who just won a third Tony."

Rachel felt Finn's strong arms wrap around her from behind and his warm breath tickled her bare neck as she admired the trophies. "I'm happy. Very happy." She turned in his arms, the full skirt of her dress ruffling and making it difficult to stand as close as they normally would. "I've just been thinking…"

"Thinking?" Finn watched Rachel closely. Whenever her thinking caused her to go silent, it meant that whatever was occupying her mind was big. And anything big enough to keep her silent at the Tony awards, had to be huge. He tried to read her features, hoping that this was the good kind of thinking. "What are you thinking about?"

Rachel leaned up and kissed him sweetly, pulling back with a smile. "I love when you worry like that." She kissed him again. "I think this is a good kind of thinking."

"Good thinking, okay, go on." Finn tightened his hold on Rachel's waist, bringing her as close to him as her dress would allow.

Rachel took the untied material of Finn's pink tie between her fingers and toyed with it lightly. "I was thinking… You are a great husband."

"Yeah…"

Her eyes stayed focused on the silky material of the tie and she continued. "I was thinking that maybe, maybe it's the right time for us to start a family."

Finn's eyes went wide as the words she said found his ears. "A family?"

"We have already achieved so much and I think we are ready."

He didn't need convincing. Rachel was right, they had achieved so much already. They had a home, income, love; there wasn't any reason not to. "Are you sure?"

"I love you and I'm ready. We are ready." That's all Finn needed to hear. He scooped Rachel up bridal style, making sure to collect the entire bright pink shirt, and raced to their bedroom. She giggled as he tossed her on the bed, her hair fanned out around her. "Finn I have to return this dress."

Finn stilled as he looked at his wife splayed on their bed. The sequins on the top of her gown were reflecting throughout the room and she was smiling at him like he hung the moon. He would never get over how much he loved her. Finn tossed the skirt up and ducked his head inside, his muffled words coming from underneath. "Not until tomorrow."

"This isn't how babies are made Finn."

He licked the inside of her thigh, slowly pulling the lace panties off her legs. "I gotta start somewhere."

That was the last thing Rachel heard before her mind went blank.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Rachel paced in her and Finn's bedroom while the timer on her phone counted down the minutes. It had only been four months since her and Finn had decided to try and have a baby; she stopped taking her birth control the day after she brought it up and they set to work immediately. They did it whenever they could, wherever they could.

Deep down they knew that it wouldn't happen overnight, but they would both be lying if they said they weren't hoping for that. They knew that it was going to take time, but each time Rachel started her period, she saw the disappointment in Finn's face and she was sure he could see it in hers. They both knew it hadn't been long enough to worry, but that didn't stop them from starting each month with a renewed and increased attempt to get Rachel pregnant. At this point, they were both enjoying the practice and even though there was a slight disappointment when she wasn't, there was an underlying thrill of being able to sex each other up every chance they got. In this last month, Finn even took a day off so that he could spend the day in bed with his wife.

Rachel figured that day was the reason that she was now waiting with a nervous anticipation for the timer to signal the end of her waiting. She jumped as a loud chirping sounded from her phone; she turned it off and took a step towards her bathroom. She twirled her wedding ring on her finger and made her way to where she laid the plastic stick on the counter, steading her breath as she took it in her shaking hands and lifted it into her view.

Rachel Hudson was pregnant. A smile spread across her face as the tears sprang to her eyes while she stared at the pink plus sign in the window. She was pregnant and she had to tell Finn. Right now.

She shoved the stick into her purse and wiped her eyes, doing her best to keep her light makeup intact. Finn had left for work a couple hours ago, leaving her to sleep in after last night's show. She knew she wanted to take the test alone in case it was negative, but now she needed Finn to know that they were going to have a baby.

Knowing which store he would be at, Rachel took the subway as far as it would take her. She exited the tunnel and took long, deliberate strides in the direction of the store. She rounded the final turn and began to jog as soon as the store came in view. The tears had started to flow again as she pushed open the door. Her eyes scanned the room looking for any signs of Finn while she set off in the direction of his office. She passed by the desk and patted it loudly, making sure Ryder was listening. "Finn. I need to see Finn, where is he?"

Ryder looked a little frightened as Rachel kept moving past him but was clearly waiting for an answer. "In his office."

"Thank you." Her already quick pace increased as she made her way up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. She really hoped he wasn't on the phone or in a meeting when she flung open the door to his office. "Finn!"

Finn looked up from the papers on his desk to see his wife breathing heavy in his doorway. He stood when she began walking to him. "Rach, is everything okay? What are you doi-"

Her arms were around his neck and her lips on his before he could finish his question. He wasn't complaining though. This wasn't the first time she had been to his office and kissing him like that. They were trying to get pregnant after all.

She finally pulled back from him, her breathing still labored and her eyes misty. Finn reached his hand up to cup her face, his thumb wiping the tear that had started to roll down her cheek.

"Hey. What's this?" He asked concern in his voice.

She reached up on her toes and kissed him again, a smile on her lips as she softly spoke the words she had been dying to say since she saw the plus sign that would change their lives. "I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" He thought he heard her say that she was pregnant. Finn pulled her close in anticipation while he waited for confirmation.

"Pregnant, Finn. We are going to have a-"

Finn wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, the smile on his face possibly visible from Ohio. "Baby! We are going to have a baby?" He was nearly shouting in his office. "You're pregnant." Rachel nodded in his grip, the tears flowing down her smiling face. "I love you." He kissed her, hoping to keep his own tears from falling. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. So much Finn."

Finn kissed her one last time and set her down on the ground. He took hold of her hand and grabbed his keys before leading her out of his office. "Where are we going?" She watched him lock the door and put the keys in his pocket and before she knew it, he was holding her in his arms again, walking towards the stairs.

"Celebrating." He told her as he descended the stairs.

"Finn, you can't just leave work."

Finn smiled. "I own the place Rach; I can just leave if I want to. And I want to." He stepped off the last stair and kissed her sweetly. "We are having a baby." Finn was glad that Ryder was working today. He was perfectly capable of running the store by himself; he had done it before. Finn passed by him standing behind the counter, Rachel still firmly held in his arms. "Ryder, something came up, I've gotta leave early. Call me if you need anything."

Before Ryder could even respond Finn and Rachel were out the door. They had celebrating to do.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Summer-

"Babe? You in here?" Finn called into the apartment, his arms heavy with the large paper sack of groceries Rachel had asked for.

"In here Finn."

He followed the sound into the living room and immediately saw Rachel lying back on the couch. Her head was resting on the arm rest, her small frame stretched across the cushions while her full size baby bump kept her pinned there. From experience, Finn knew Rachel wasn't very comfortable lying on her back. "Whoa. You okay?"

"If being as big as a house is okay, then yes. For some reason this is the only way I could get comfortable today. Did you get my stuff?" She tried to swing her tired and swollen feet to the side while simultaneously pivoting and using her arm to lift her up. She didn't like asking for help and banned Finn from helping her until she did. Which had become increasingly often.

Finn watched her begin to struggle and moved to set the bag down so he could help her, but he couldn't help looking at the random items inside the bag on last time. "Yeah, I got it. What's with this stuff though? These are weird things to be craving, even for you."

"If you must know…" Rachel grunted and kicked her leg one last time before finally relenting. She held her hand up to Finn, who was already standing next to the couch. "Help me up, please." He helped her up, kissing her lightly when she was on her feet. "Thank you." She smoothed down the grey t-shirt that she stole from Finn's closet and made her way to the bag. "If you must know, these are the things that are going to get this baby out of me."

"You aren't even due for another week?" Rachel turned her attention away from the bag long enough to glare at Finn, effectively quieting him. He held up his hands in defense; he knew better than to argue with her. "Whoa, okay, sorry. How can I help?" He walked to her, stopping directly behind her and peeked over her shoulder into the bag, his hands snaking around to rest on her belly.

Finn was well aware how uncomfortable Rachel was, but he couldn't help to think how gorgeous she was carrying their child. Every time she complained about having to buy bigger pants, he found himself loving her more. He didn't even mind that she had started stealing his t-shirts.

"Start cutting up that pineapple." She pulled the fruit from the bag and handed it to him, barely taking the time to look at him before going back in the bag. "Did you bring the eggplant parmesan?"

Finn smiled and reached in the bag, pulling out the small Styrofoam container. "Here." He kissed her again and set to work cutting up the pineapple as he was asked.

Rachel was done being pregnant. Her doctor had told her in her first trimester that her small frame meant that she was unlikely to reach her due date. She was only five days away from it and still no baby and no signs of her coming out anytime soon.

Her pregnancy had been relatively easy up until about three weeks ago. Unfortunately, summer in New York had taken a turn for the hot then; just about the same time she had decide she was big enough. It seemed pregnancy hit her all at once and almost overnight. She had become uncomfortable in her own body and that just wouldn't do any longer.

She grabbed a spoon and took the small bottle of oil from the bottom of the bag, twisting the lid off immediately. The thick liquid filled the tablespoon and she caught Finn watching her with a look of disbelief. "Tina swears by castor oil." She shrugged and placed the full spoon in her mouth, the oil coating the inside of her mouth and her tongue. She smacked her lips and shuttered, thinking to herself that this better work because that was gross. She swigged from her nearby cup of water and held a hand to Finn. "Ick. Pineapple, please." She took the sweet fruit from Finn's outstretched hand and placed a piece on her tongue, happy that it was helping to cut the oily residue left in her mouth. She popped another piece in her mouth and tried to explain to Finn what she was doing. "Everybody has a different method that they swear works, but I hardly got the same answer twice. Tina mentioned the castor oil and a bumpy ride, so after I finished having lunch with her today, I took the bus home. I even sat in the back where it is extra bumpy."

"The bus? You hate the bus?" Rachel must be desperate and Finn knew it. He saw her plop another of the pineapple pieces in her mouth and thought to himself that it has to be better than the oil. That did not look appealing.

"Extra bumpy Finn." Rachel took what was left of the pineapple and the container of eggplant parmesan and sat at the table. These were each recommendations from people at the theater. It seemed no matter where she went, everybody had their own 'fool proof' method and they were not shy about sharing it. She cut up the eggplant and began alternating it with the pineapple. Something had to work.

Finn watched on as his wife ate one of the weirdest combinations of food that he had seen. Each of her hands alternated bringing bites to her lips while she chewed the last and he couldn't help but think back.

_"__This is going to be cold." The technician squirted the clear jelly on the small baby bump that had begun to form. Rachel sat back in the darkened room, Finn holding tight to her hand as they prepared to see their baby for the first time. "Ready" They nodded and he pressed the wand firmly to her stomach, immediately showing a fuzzy image on the TV screen overhead. The picture was in constant motion, a combination of the baby and the technician's movements, while he explained what they were looking at. "Okay. That's your baby's spine. There's a hand and this is the arm. Oh there we go. Looks like a strong steady heart beat."_

_The loud steady thumping of their baby's heartbeat filled the small room and the couple watched in amazement as their baby moved on screen. They had heard the heart beat before, and each time it was special, but nothing could have prepared them for seeing their baby for the first time. Even fuzzy and in black and white, theirs was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. Finn kissed Rachel head as the technician continued moving the wand around, clicking buttons as he went. _

_"__Do you want to know the sex?"_

_Having discussed this earlier, Rachel answered for them both, "Yes please." There were some days that they wanted a boy and some days that they wanted a girl. They discussed what would make each of them easier, switching opinions at regular intervals. In the end though, the one thing they knew was that they wanted a healthy and happy baby. Gender didn't matter, the love was there regardless._

_"__Alright, if I just move this right here. Wow. Okay, looks like your daughter is putting on a show for us."_

_Finn and Rachel looked at each other, tears welling up in Finn's eyes while they flowed freely down Rachel's face. "Daughter?" _

_"__Looks like it. If you look right here," the technician smiled at them and move the wand again, pressing buttons on the keyboard at the same time, "we see an obvious girl. Congratulations."_

_"__A girl…" Finn breathed. _

_The young man wiped off the wand and placed it in the holster on the bedside cart; he then took a couple paper towels and handed them to Rachel. "Okay. I have everything I need; I'll go ahead and print these out for you and they will be ready when you leave. Take your time." He walked to the door, stopping briefly to congratulate them one last time before he left them alone in the room. _

_Rachel wiped the jelly from her belly and pulled her shirt down. "Finn?" Finn's silence was starting to worry her. They had both talked about what it would be like to have a baby girl. She always worried that Finn secretly wanted a boy. _

_"__We are having a girl." He repeated. Truth be told, Finn was thrilled. The thought of a daughter who took after her mother filled his heart with joy. Sure, he worried about the things that came with having a daughter, especially a pretty one, but those things took a back seat to his overwhelming joy. _

_"__Are you happy?"_

_Finn swept Rachel up in his arms, burying his face in her neck as he held her tight. "More than ever." _

_Since then, Finn wondered if he was qualified to be anybody's dad. What qualifications did he hold? He was terrified of diaper changing and dropping her and dating, he hoped Rachel would be patient with him while he figured it out. _

"Finn, are you listening?"

Finn shook his head at the memory, turning his focus to Rachel, still eating her labor inducing snack. "What?"

"When I finish this, you are going to sex me up. There is lots of good evidence that says that sex is a good way to get her to come out."

Finn crossed the room and placed a lingering kiss on her pineapple flavored lips. "Whatever you want. I love you."

Rachel was less than thrilled when none of her methods worked. She was now three days past her due date, the same one she was assured she wouldn't make it to. Each day that passed had become another day that she lost hope of ever having this baby. Each night she went to bed more disappointed than the night before. She was ready to meet this baby and hold her in her arms.

She and Finn had stepped up the quest to name her, knowing that they would need to know sooner rather than later. Every name was rejected for some strange reason or another and now they were (hopefully) days away from meeting their little girl and she had no name. They had stayed up late last night scouring the big book of baby names for ideas, until finally deciding to try again tomorrow.

Finn had fallen asleep almost right away, but Rachel's increasing uncomfortableness kept her up a little later. Instead of lying in bed, tossing and turning, disturbing Finn's sleep, she got up and cleaned out the fridge. It was an hour later when her body finally let her know she could finally sleep.

Now, here it was, four in the morning and she was being woken up what she thought was contractions. She turned on her side, watching the clock as the frequency increased. She told herself that when they got to be eight minutes apart, she would wake up Finn. That just happened to be now. She got out of bed put on one of Finn's t-shirts and an old pair of his sweat pants that she had cut into shorts. "Finn. Finn. Wake up."

"Babe, we can't name her Barbra."

Rachel giggled and shook his shoulder again. "Get up. We need to get to the hospital."

"What for?" He mumbled into his pillow.

Rachel giggled again and shook him a little harder. "I thought maybe you would want to meet your daughter today."

"Baby?" Finn shot straight up out of bed, barely missing head butting his wife in the process. "I'm up, I'm up. Stay calm okay. I'll get the bag. Breathe, baby, breathe." He ran to the closet and retrieved the pre-packed bag, setting by the door as he turned to see Rachel still standing by the bed. "Come on." He went to stand next to her, ready to carry her out of the apartment if he had to. "Why aren't you following me? I thought you said the baby was coming?"

"She is." Rachel put a hand on Finn's shoulder as she was hit with another contraction, her hand trailed down his arm as she doubled over slightly. When it was over she took in a deep breath and returned to an upright position. "She definitely is. But you need pants on." She watched as his genuine concern faded and he looked down at his bare legs.

"Oh." Finn grabbed the basketball shorts he had been wearing earlier and slid them on. He took Rachel's hand and led her to the bag. "Alright. I'm ready now." He kissed the back of her hand softly, and led her out of the apartment. "Are you okay? How far apart are your contractions?"

"I'm fine. They are about seven or so minutes apart now."

They entered the elevator and Finn placed his hands on Rachel's belly, leaning in to kiss his wife. "I love you." He leaned down and hovered his lips over their unborn child, smiling as he spoke. "I can't wait to meet you."

Five in the morning is not a bad time to travel throughout the city. It wasn't long before they were at the hospital and Rachel was admitted. Labor progressed rather quickly and at 4:01 that afternoon Finn and Rachel were officially parents. Their 7lb 7oz baby girl came into the world, loudly announcing her arrival.

Rachel couldn't believe how much she already loved this person she had only met an hour ago. She had to admit that she was worried that she would not have enough room in her heart for another person, but now looking down at the little girl wrapped up in her arms, she knew she was wrong. Somehow she loved this little girl and her father more than she knew was possible.

"I didn't think I could love you any more than I already did." Finn unknowingly echoed Rachel's thoughts as he sat beside her on the bed, softly stroking the soft dark hair on the baby's head. She was perfect in every way and he was so happy that she graced their lives.

"I love you so much." Rachel turned her head, taking her eyes of the bundle in her arms only long enough to kiss her remarkable husband. "What do you think we should name her?" She asked softly.

Finn smiled while his hand rested over Rachel's. "I have been thinking about it and I may have an idea." He turned to Rachel, then to the baby. "Grace."

"Grace Carole." Rachel smiled. She knew she wanted to Name their daughter after Finn's mother. Rachel loved her and Carole had always been there for them, supporting them when they needed it. "It fits her."

Finn kissed the side of Rachel's head. It meant so much to him that they were naming their first child after his mother. "It does. What do you think Grace; do you like it too." He reached up and wiggled his finger on the blanket. The brunette baby let out a long yawn and Finn and Rachel both chuckled. "I'll take it."

"You want to hold her?" Finn carefully took the baby and cradled her in his arms, holding her close to his chest as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you both so much."

Rachel reached up and caressed the top of Grace's head, completely happy in this moment. "We love you too." She knew now that she was stronger than she had given herself credit for. Though her daughter and Finn would always come first, Rachel knew that she could do this. She could raise her daughter, love her husband, and continue to be the star she had become.

Over the years, Finn and Rachel had endured so much together. They had already known that they were blessed, but as Grace slept peacefully in Finn's arms, he and Rachel truly realized the magnitude of their blessings.

* * *

**A/N- And that completes it! I really hope you enjoyed it. Fun Fact: Rachel's pregnancy experience closely mimics my own. Castor oil is gross and I do not recommend it, it will make you poop; a lot. **

**I have started work on a new story and I'm really excited about it. No idea when I'll be ready to post it, but I can't wait to share it with you. **

**Thank you again for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, and Twitter messages on this and all my other stories. You guys are amazing. Till next time, much love.**


End file.
